Oh Captain, My Captain
by Bambi95
Summary: AU Human/Demon College. Kagome won a full ride to Shikon University on an archery scholarship, but scholarships at this college aren't easy to keep. Allies will appear in the most unlikely of places. Rated M for mature themes and Lemons.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Entrance

Shikon University was renowned in Tokyo for producing some of the highest-class business, science, and sports personnel for the last two decades. It's sprawling campus boasted a bias-free zone for both human and demon students to prosper. The school's benefactors gave out numerous scholarships every year to offer opportunities to talented individuals to rise to the top of their ranks in society.

Kagome hurried through the crowded hallway towards what she hoped was the exit of the science building. Her first day of college had been hectic, despite her tour a week prior navigating her class schedule across several buildings with only a few minutes between had been difficult. She had been late to two of her five classes and the embarrassment each time had been cringe-worthy. Although the school's claim of a bias-free zone against demon or human prejudice had been real, the comingling races amongst the student body a testament to that, the prejudice against tardiness was time old and traveled every race, language, and culture.

She glanced at her watch around her arm full of binders and cussed lightly as the time 5:57 pm flashed into view. She had only three minutes to get to the archery club or she would be late for her own new member orientation.

"Damnit." She cussed lightly under her breath.

She quickened her steps, rounded a corner and practically ran for the glass exit doors that came into view. She reached the outside and rushed down the steps pulling her crumbled campus map from her pocket. She checked her surroundings, found her location and almost sighed in relief as she realized she was right next to the massive athletics gym. She shoved the map back into the pocket of her hoodie, the plain grey material hung loosely around her plush form and covered most of the black sweat pants she wore on her bottom half.

She started at a quick pace towards the new building, rounding the concrete path and flying up the stairs and inside with what she hoped was great speed. The new hall she entered was wide, double doors lining both sides with descriptive plaques. She hurriedly weaved through the crowd of moving students, her head swinging side to side as she silently read the plaque's looking for the archery club.

Her blue eyes lit up as the sign finally came into sight and she began to jog lightly keeping her sights on the sign above her destination. She was only two doors away when she suddenly collided with a solid mass. Her binders fell from her arms and as she started to fall back, she twisted so as not to land on her bow and arrows in the shoulder case she carried on her back. She braced for the impact but instead was met with a strong grip and tug around her left wrist, pulling her back onto her feet. She coughed the adrenaline clear from her quivering vocal cords and looked up, her eyes meeting deep pools of molten gold framed in a face of strong masculine features.

"Ah, sorry… no... Uhm, thank you." She looked away and mumbled nervously as she bent to retrieve her scattered belongings.

"Hn." The demons noncommittal reply only spurred her to gather her things quicker.

She pulled the last of her scattered papers that fell from one of her binders into her grip and straightened to apologize to the demon again for bumping into him. When she did the golden-eyed man was no longer anywhere in sight, she was jostled slightly as someone pushed past her and she suddenly remembered where she was headed.

She pushed forward the last few feet and quickly entered the double doors leading to the archery club that she had only seen through a quick glance during her welcome tour. She breathed a sigh of relief as she closed the door and chaos of the hallway fell away. When she turned to face the room though the silent stares boring down on her sent a new wave of anxiety through her blood.

She searched the few faces for the captain that she had spoken with during her initial acceptance of her scholarship and they landed on her sharp elegant features on the left-hand side of the room. Kikyo, the girl had been quiet but pleasant when she had visited the school and been introduced to her. As she neared her, she noticed the girl was in full archery wear, the blue hakama, and white haori clean and pressed to perfection, it made her slim form seem even more elegant with her brunette hair pulled into a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck.

"I'm sorry I'm late." She bowed as she spoke to her new captain.

She waited for a response but rose after a long pause, chocolate orbs lazily traced her form in an appraisal. "Remind me of your name." The cold tone from the girl shocked her slightly.

"Kagome Higurashi… I was awarded the Jewel grant." Kagome was hesitant as she spoke but she wouldn't back down from getting into this club, it was what was enabling her to afford college at all.

Kikyo's eyes gleamed in recognition and she tutted and waved her hand flippantly. "Ah, the poor child." She pinned Kagome with an icy gaze before turning away. "Hurry and change, the locker room is over there, practice has technically already begun." Her hand motioned to a simple grey door on the wall to their left and Kagome started towards it.

"You won't be here long." The quiet sneer followed her as she pulled the door open and closed it softly behind her.

She made her way to the row of lockers, pulling open one that wasn't locked, she placed her messy armful of binders inside and let the shoulder case she was carrying slide free from its place. She turned and opened the case, pulling her high school archery uniform from within. The well worn white and red haori and hakama a stark contrast to her new colleges deep blue, she sighed, wishing she had gotten her new uniform before her first day of club practice.

She shed her clothes quickly, glancing nervously at the door and quickly tied her traditional clothes in place. She hated how the material bunched around her push waist, accentuating the full curves she was slightly ashamed of. She shook off the feeling and hardened herself as she drew her messy raven curls into a loose bun at the back of her head and grabbed her bow and quiver before heading back out into the practice room.

Her reentrance wasn't noticed immediately and she took the time to take in her new club room. The double doors from the hallway had led into a wide room, the side opposite of the door was a wide low wooden balcony that overlooked a long archery range, several lines of targets were placed in the range as well as a large black piece of machinery at the back of the field. The wall with the locker room door was lined by several treadmills, ellipticals, arm presses, bench press benches and a rack of free weights. The wall directly opposite her housed two large barrels of neatly placed arrows along with several spare bows a few empty bow racks and a large cooler stocked with bottles of water. Her moment of observation was cut short as Kikyo moved into her roaming field of vision.

"You seem larger than the last time I saw you." The girl sneered at her obviously plush form, seeming satisfied with her degrading observation.

"I hope you can keep up with practice." She turned to look behind her for a moment, scanning the group of girls that stood in a semi-formal line behind her.

"This is Kagome, she will be joining us as of today courtesy of administrator Taisho's new group of sports grants." She turned to face Kagome again. "Shikon University only produces the best so you will have to show results if you wish to keep that grant, I'm sure you read the guidelines?"

The chocolate eyes roving her face practically stung as the woman in front of her spoke but Kagome was determined not to back down. "I'm confident I will be an asset here." She spoke in a solid but quiet tone.

Kikyo narrowed her eyes before clicking her tongue. "Very well." She turned back to the line of girls before motioning to one of them to come over grabbing the girls' shoulder as she got near, she turned back to Kagome. "This is Sango, she will give you the rundown of today's practice while we begin stretching, shooting practice starts in thirty minutes." Kikyo turned away from the pair and joined the other girls as she began to guide them into a group stretch.

Kagome eyed the girl in front of her from head to toe. She was a plain athletically built brunette with boyish features. Her brown eyes, however, shined with kindness and warmth and as she held out her hand in a western greeting with a bright smile on her face, Kagome felt a small measure of relief, perhaps this could be her first new friend.

They began their own stretching as the girl quickly spoke. "The weekly practice schedule is posted on the bulletin board." She nodded her chin in the direction of the corkboard next to the club doors. "Today we are doing half solid half moving." She nodded at Kagomes look of confusion. "Half an hour of the still target practice, we shoot in groups of three at a time." Kagome looked past the girl to the wooden targets outside. "Then half an hour of moving target practice." Sango pointed to the black machine in the back of the field before sitting down to stretch her back. "It shoots out plate-sized orange discs, we stand in line and take turns."

Kagome nodded in understanding, at her high school one of the team managers had just thrown frisbees in the air for moving target practice, not for the first time she felt the pressure of the powerhouse college she was attending.

Kikyo called their stretching to an end and they grabbed their bow and arrows, Sango led her to the back of the line that was quickly forming, the first three girls stepped forward and faced the shooting range. Kikyou stood to the side and as she blew a small whistle the girls took aim and fired. Kikyo took count of their hits and misses in a notebook and the girls stepped aside as the next three stepped up. The process repeated and the line moved forward.

"Kikyo is a hardass on everyone so just do your best, your tournament placements are what really matter." Sango whispered over her shoulder as they neared the front of the line.

The whistle blew and Kagome stepped forward as her turn came up. She didn't miss the quiet snickering of Kikyo and a few other girls at her awkward fidgeting at the balcony edge. When the whistle blew, she raised her bow, notched an arrow and took aim at one of the closer targets. When she released the arrow, she breathed out and didn't turn away until after she watched her arrow sink into the center of the target. Satisfied she turned to follow Sango back into line.

"Aim for a further target next time, only the best shooters get picked for the main team events during competitions." She saw Sango glance at the notebook in Kikyo's hand. "It's all a numbers game." The kind girl gave her a reassuring smile as they moved along in line.

"Thank you." Kagome whispered over her shoulder.

She saw the smile on Sango's face widen. "Anyone Kikyo doesn't like is a friend to me." Kagome felt a gentle hand on her back and was confident her next arrow would strike true as well.

The still target practice continued on with Kagome steadily moving to further targets with every turn until she was continuously hitting the center of the furthest target with perfect accuracy. A break was called before they would begin the next half of practice and she was grateful as she set down her equipment and made her way to the water cooler to retrieve a drink.

Sango quickly met her there. "The next half can be brutal." She pointed past Kagome to a laptop on a thin desk next to the workout machines. "The disk launcher is preprogrammed for five, ten, and fifteen disk sets. For group practice it is set to five, the disks come out one after another in different directions." She splayed her hands much like an imitation of a firework exploding. "On our current group team everyone can shoot down all five during group practice, but for today if you could hit three it would probably shut Kikyo's snickering up."

Kagome grinned slightly at the thumbs up the girl gave her. "Thanks for the tips, I would be fumbling without you." She told her honestly.

Sango smiled at her words and clapped a hand on her shoulder. "I've got high hopes for you. Kikyo has been haughty and controlling from the moment she became captain. She needs a little knocking down." The hand clasping her shoulder squeezed before that low whistle sounded again and the club members once again gathered their gear started forming a line facing the shooting range.

Kagome heard the whistle blow again and watched the disks come forth from the machine and as the first girl struggled to rapidly aim and fire only hitting one disc, she started to feel a bubble of anxiety build in her stomach. The large clay discs looked difficult to break and there wasn't any time between their exit, to top it off they flew in almost opposite directions.

As she continued watching the girls in front of her take their turns she continued to fret, by the time her turn came she was a bundle of nerves. She could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on her back and tried to take a calming breath, waiting for that cursed whistle. When the sound came her eyes flashed open and she moved quickly, notching an arrow and letting it fly to pierce the first target cleanly in half, she fluidly pulled aimed and fired a second one, splitting the second disk, but her fingers fumbled with the third arrow and the few seconds she took to regain her grip had the last three discs falling out of view.

She didn't need to look to Kikyo to see her elated grin as whispers rose quietly. She turned and marched to the back of the line, crushing the small spark of jealousy she felt when Sango cleanly took down four targets after her.

The rest of the moving target practice found Kagome struggling to hit three targets consistently. With every third disk, she had fumbled, missed, hit only a few but only nearly breaking the disc with their weak impact.

When Kikyo called practice to an end she was thankful for the reprieve. She called the members to attention before dismissing them. "The clubroom will be open until nine if anyone wishes to stay and… practice." Her eyes brushed over Kagome as a grin broke out on her pristine lips. "We all know who needs it. Practice again on Wednesday, don't be late, team rankings will be up by the end of next week." She waved her hand at the end of her speech and the club members started to file towards the locker room.

Kagome made no move to follow the group of women and was thankful when most of them paid her no mind. Sango moved to her side nudged her shoulder playfully. "Don't worry about that, you're going to do great. I can tell." She smiled brightly. "I have to go right now, my little brother is waiting for me, but we should hang sometime!" She jogged to the locker room waiving slightly.

Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention as the door to the clubroom swung open and a silver hair Hanyou rushed in, his doglike ears swiveling on top of his head, amber eyes looking back and forth inquisitively.

"Kikyo!" He yelled slightly louder than necessary and he eyed her carefully before sniffing the air.

"Tch. Where's the cap'n?" He asked her as he stepped forward. The musk of his sweaty form permeating the air.

Kagome took a small step back before motioning to the locker room door. "Changing." Was her short reply.

He walked around her and plopped himself onto one of the bench-pressing platforms and eyed her from head to toe before opening his mouth again. "You new? I don't remember there being someone so…" He motioned to her up and down. " …in Kikyo's club."

Kagome bristled at the obvious judgment, she was thick, she knew, but she wasn't obese and she was still an ace at archery, even if she was struggling at the moment. "I am new." She didn't want to encourage the half-demon to continue the conversation.

A few minutes passed with her awkwardly standing there while he busied himself looking around before fiddling with the weights. Finally, a rush of chatting girls emerged from the locker room, some quickly exiting, Sango being one of them as she waved when she passed Kagome. Kikyo exited last and the half-demon intruder perked up when she came into his line of sight.

"Kikyo! You ready to go?" He rushed to her side and Kagome almost laughed at his obvious excitement, but her humor died as his eyes turned to her. "Who's tha newbie? Kinda looks like you, but maybe more like a fat little sister!" Kikyo laughed at his side and his face lit up at the sight.

Kagome felt true disgust roll in her stomach, mostly for the people taunting and laughing at her expense, but a small portion of that disgust was at herself, her self-loathing leaking into her mind.

She turned away from the duo as the continued to chatter and laugh along with the remaining club members who exited with them. When they left, she gathered her things from the locker room, placing them by the door and snapping a photo of the club schedule with her phone for when she left before she placed it back with her notebooks and turned filling her quiver from the barrel of arrows. She walked to the balcony and took aim at the furthest wooden target, ready to take out her frustration with training.

After almost two hours of steadily shooting her arms ached and she was raw emotionally from all the stress she had been relieving with every shot. She had worked hard in high school to become the best in archery, her love of it stemming from her childhood memories with her grandfather at their family shrine. She had followed the path of the archer, despite the snickers it got her as her body began to grow and mature. The recognition she gained during tournaments and finally from the grant to Shikon University had validated her existence but the first day had returned her to the feeling of inadequacy she thought she had left behind.

Tears began to stream down her face as she notched another arrow and let the feeling of self-hatred, she was bundling deep within from the day of embarrassment was released and pulled away from her with the release of the bowstring. She gasped as a swell of warmth burst from her skin, pink light enveloping her before it washed outward.

As the glow of power left her the tiredness of her mind and body hit her senses with the full force of their weight. She fell to her knees as she panted lightly in exhaustion, but she only had a second to rest before the clubroom door slammed open.

* * *

Sesshomaru watched the club members in front of him as they went through their cooldown exercises. The practice had run smoothly under his guidance; the new recruits had been thoroughly assessed and he already had a mental list of who would quit by the end of the first week. His eyes shifted to his brash half-brother Inuyasha, he clicked his tongue in annoyance at the incorrect movements he displayed during the routine, even after being a member for two years the Hanyou had still not corrected his flaws.

For a moment his thoughts wandered to the sweet scent of the female that had run into him outside. It still clung to his hand where he had caught her from falling, she was surprisingly clean smelling for a human and sweet like jasmine.

He glanced at the large clock hanging from the wall and whistled for the members to cease their movements. "Practice is over, the club room will remain open until nine for any who wish to do personal practice." Weary sighs and groans of exhaustion filled the room as the club members filled towards the locker room, dropping their wooden swords into a storage barrel along the way.

He didn't miss how Inuyasha didn't bother to enter the locker room after practically throwing his practice weapon into the storage barrel. The Hanyou turned heal and jogged from the room, exiting the club room with a slam of the door, his sensitive hearing picking up the opening of a door just down the hall before he tuned out the noise completely.

He circled the few remaining humans and demons who were stretching or beginning to spar to the doors that led outdoors, he needed fresh air after being locked in the tight room for over an hour.

He left the doors open behind him and settled onto the wooden balcony that was circled by a small area of grass and a low wooden fence on three sides, a high tightly knit wire fence stood on the left side of the yard, it bordered the archery clubs' field. He looked back through the thin glass door he had exited and watched the sparring match between Koga and Miroku, two of the second-year students who joined the club last year. Despite Koga being a wolf demon Miroku wasn't unmatched in the battle as a human, his holy power strengthening his muscle enough to be an adequate partner for practice and teammate during tournaments.

Their next tournament was soon coming already, being held in Tokyo in September. School started in late July so that left little time to prepare any new members, their team from the last tournament would be their team for this one. He mulled over the fact that he would have to include Inuyasha on the six-man team or be hounded by the imbecile for weeks afterward. That left himself, Koga, Miroku, Shippo, and Naraku. While Shippo's technique was immature and Naraku seemed more bloodthirsty than necessary they made for a formidable team during their last tournament.

Inuyasha's voice drifted to him through the wire fence next to him. " ….. like a fat little sister!" and then a cackle of laughter. He sighed and centered his mind to begin meditating, he would wait for the other club members to leave before he began his own personal training, he preferred not to be stared at.

When he opened his eyes after a few long moments he realized he was blissfully alone and drew himself up to reenter the club room, not missing the gentle 'thwack' of an arrow hitting a target every few seconds next door and the soft warm scent of jasmine that floated on the breeze. He glanced at the clock on the wall again, 7:48 pm it read, that left him little over an hour to practice before the maintenance came to lock the building.

He walked to the barrel of wooden swords and grabbed one and walked back to the center of the room. The wide hardwood floor spread underneath his feet, he focused on the wall he faced, three intricate Japanese katana were displayed on the wall, their forms held high on the beige wall, gripped by ornate racks made of cherry wood. He turned as he swung into the first form of his routine and his gaze fell on the clubroom doors, the walls surrounding them littered in tournament awards and commemorative photos of teams in the past. His next swing brought him to face the locker room door on the right-hand wall, its frame surrounded by storage units for the wooden swords and protective equipment that they used during practice on one side and a line of free weights on the other side. The last swing of his first form brought him to face the wall that led outdoors, his own private sanctuary, at least since his reign as captain of the team.

He continued moving through the motions of his routine, stopping and repeating when he felt himself falter in the movements. Time passed and sweat began to bead on his skin as he drew his practice to a close, he slowly walked to the storage area to return his practice weapon. The clock on the wall read 8:58 pm, just enough time for him to gather his things and exit the building.

Just as he reached the bin his skin prickled with the forewarning of impending reiki. His head whipped to the side and his eyes narrow as his youki rose to the surface, the beast deep within his mind awakening at his call to his power. He jerked as he felt a shuddering force ripple through the air moments before a wave of reiki crashed against him, his youki rose to cover his skin in protection and he forced it outward to shield himself in a wide ark before the deadly wave dissipated as quickly as it had come.

He panted lightly in alarm and narrowed his eyes on the origin of the outburst, the archery club next door. He snatched his messenger bag of belongings from the floor where he dropped it earlier and stormed out of the club room. Quickly reaching the neighboring clubs' doors and slamming them open.

He spied the single occupant kneeling on the balcony to the firing range and angrily stepped into the room. "What is the meaning of this, Miko?" His nostrils flared in a slight show of anger, flooding his senses with a sweet scent, as he stood over the dark-haired female.

When she looked up, he recognized her immediately as the female that he had met in the hallway.

"Miko?" She asked him finally.

Her parroting of his words was not the answer he was looking for. "Yes, I assume it was you who released that purification wave. Therefore, making you a Miko." His anger abated slightly at her obvious confusion.

She stood and held out her hands in a placating manner. "I'm not a Miko, I mean sure I lived on a shrine as a kid… but that doesn't make me holy." She was waving her hands and backing away. Sesshomaru eyed the edge of the balcony that she was slowly backpedaling towards. "I'm sorry… you've ah… ack!" Her words were strangled as she nearly fell off the ledge by her own movement. He reached out and snatched her upper arm to catch her before he could think of why.

"I am not mistaken." He replied sternly, his original anger gone but bristling slightly at her broken implication that he was incorrect. He released her once she was steadily on her feet and didn't miss the way her tired eyes seemed to lose focus for a moment. "Whether or not you believe me, I can feel the reiki within you. Had I been a weaker demon your earlier wave would have killed me." He finally explained his presence.

Strained blue depths flashed to meet his gaze and the girl finally stood to her full height and faced him honestly. Her bun had come loose, long loops of wavy curls falling around her face, which was streaked in the drying trails of tears, her cheeks and lips flushed with emotion. Her figure was clad in the traditional Miko garb and he didn't miss the way her chest and hips widened with maturity creating an hourglass figure not common amongst Japanese humans.

She was stunningly beautiful and he couldn't help but focus on her lips as she spoke once again. "I… I think that was me. I'm sorry." She bowed her head after she spoke and he nodded his head in approval.

She swayed slightly before she stumbled and he reached out to steady her again. "This is the first release of your reiki." He spoke his thoughts aloud.

The blue eyes holding his gaze were steady as she leaned into his touch. "Yes, that has never happened before." She breathed out a sigh as her eyes closed tiredly.

He mulled that over for a moment, it was hard to believe a Miko could grow to this age and not realize their ability but it wasn't impossible. He scented the air lightly, her scent held no trace of a lie, and he decided her actions were an innocent accident.

"You are forgiven." He spoke to her quietly. She slumped slightly in his grip on her arm and mumbled a reply. He looked around and cursed inwardly when he saw the clock on the wall. It was well past nine by now and the maintenance crew had certainly locked them inside the building by accident.

He shook the girl in his grasp slightly to rouse her. "Where are your things?" He questioned her shortly. Her blue eyes blinked slowly before they cleared and she pointed to the door he had come through minutes earlier. A neat pile of binders and papers sat next to a large archery case. He eyed the girl in his grasp once more before he released her once more and retrieved her belongings, returning and helping the tired girl pack away her bow and quiver in the case and handed her the pile of binders once she had slung the case strap over her shoulder.

He shouldered the strap of his own bag before catching her gaze again. "Your name?" He was intrigued as the flush of her cheeks doubled and she seemed to awaken slightly clasping her hands together in front of her.

"Ah… sorry, again… I'm Kagome Higurashi, and yourself?" She asked as she steadily held his gaze, her body language was strong and honest despite her fumbling words.

"Sesshomaru Taisho, I lead the kendo team." He gestured to the wall separating this room from his own clubs' room. "The campus maintenance locks the building doors at nine." He told her, not missing the way her eyes flashed to the clock on the wall.

"We are locked in." She caught on to his point quickly and he was pleased by her quick intelligence.

"Yes, but if you are willing, there is a way to leave easily." He smiled slightly at the thought as a playful feeling he hadn't felt since his early youth blossomed in his chest. At her questioning look, he couldn't stop the slight smile from crossing his lips as he gestured with a clawed hand to the high fence surrounding the archery field. "I am easily capable of jumping over the fence." He let the statement hang and was rewarded when the woman in front of him pouted slightly before she sighed and seemed to resign herself before she spoke. "Please take me with you." Her honest request stunned him a little, her tiredness was obvious and he felt strangely overcome with compassion for the female, he wanted to comfort her.

"Of course." He responded quickly and scooped her up bridal style, enjoying the small noise of surprise she released but not wasting time as he pushed off the balcony, holding her form close as he landed on a high tree at the edge of the fence and pushed off with incredible force to launch them into the air.

He heard a gasp as they hovered slightly in the air and the wide blue eyes of the woman in his grasp took in the beautiful night scene of the campus sprawling in front of and underneath them. He took the brief few seconds to really enjoy the feeling of her soft back pressing into his arm, her side molded against his chest in deliciously soft curves, she was luscious. As they descended from the jump he was bathed in her scent as the wind rushed upwards around them and his beast rumbled in the traces of his mind.

He slowed their fall with a buffet of youki around his feet and touched down on the ground lightly, setting Kagome onto her feet after the dust had settled around them missing her warmth. They stood on the walkway that surrounded the outside of the athletics building, he scanned the area quickly to make sure they hadn't been caught jumping a campus fence.

"That was amazing." The soft words reached him and he looked down to meet the blue gaze looking up to him with childlike wonder. He was pleased his small gift had touched her, he hadn't meant to tease her earlier, it had been his intention from the beginning to help her leave the locked building, making her beg had been cruel.

"Do you live on campus?" He asked, changing the subject.

The head of raven curls bobbed slightly as she replied. "Yeah, dorm building C." She looked around then and bent to pull a crumpled map from within a sleeve on her archery case, unfolding it to study the paper. He smiled at her antics.

He interrupted her by pulling the paper from her grasp, meeting her stunned look with a clawed finger between them pointing down the path to their left. "Follow the path till you reach the second crosswalk, turn left and it will be the building straight down the path in front of you." His easy directions were well learned through his own trial and error in his first year navigating the school.

The small woman smiled brightly at him and he handed her back the abused school map he had snatched from her. "Thank you Sesshomaru. For everything." She spoke quickly as she began to turn away and head down the path without waiting for his reply.

He watched her until she disappeared down the correct turn he had mentioned and out of his sight. His senses were still reeling from being so close to her, the scent of her lingered on his clothes and filled his nostrils, sweet and enticing. His beast was awake and alert in his mental cage, it normally slumbered unless he called on it, its' show of interest proved that there was something intriguing in the young Miko he had just met. He shivered slightly as he remembered the wave of her power, she was strong. He finally turned to make his way to the student parking lot, his steps slow as his thoughts were consumed in a chaotic swirl. His head cleared as he slid into the driver seat of his sleek sedan, he would have plenty of time to think about his abnormal attraction to the human girl at his apartment.

He dropped his bag in the passenger seat and started the car, letting it warm up for a few minutes before he pulled out of the parking lot.

* * *

Kagome unlocked her dorm room door with tired hands. Her day had been hectic, practice harsh, and her evening overwhelming. She was a miko. She couldn't wait to call her mother tomorrow, she had so many questions.

And then there had been the demon kendo captain from next door. Sesshomaru. She had recognized him as the demon she bumped into before practice and was stunned to meet him again so quickly.

She set her binders and archery case by the door and began shedding her clothing as she pulled her tired body toward the bathroom and its' small standing shower that called to her. She turned the water to scalding hot and groaned as she stepped under it, letting it massage her tired shoulder muscles. As she began to wash, she suddenly remembered the feeling of Sesshomaru holding her bridal style, he had carried and jumped with her as if she weighed nothing. She blushed at the memory and tried to finish showering quickly.

She rinsed off one final time and exited the shower, wrapping a towel around her body and falling onto the top of her neatly made bed. She was thankful she had moved into the room the night before, but she was too tired to crawl under the covers as her eyes drifted closed and she finally relaxed into sleep.

* * *

*** Ok, so new story here! I'm not entirely sure yet how far I'm going to take this so let me know what you guys think! There will be lemons and whatnot in future chapters if I do continue it. All reviews are appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Pong

Kagome stretched in her chair as she stared at the lunch on her tray. She was tired from the first two weeks of school and all of her discoveries. Everything that had happened on her first day had been overwhelming. The being late all day, first club practice, first use of reiki, and first awkward meeting of the Kendo team captain had created a massive vortex of emotion she didn't know if she could escape.

The morning after, she had called her mom and learned it wasn't such a stretch to believe she could be a miko. Her grandmother had held moderate holy powers and further back in their family tree there had been several documented Miko's and priests, the most notable of which had been the guardian of a great national treasure. She had notified the admissions office that afternoon, since all demons and holy humans had to be registered accordingly, and been dismayed to learn that she had to take an extra course this semester due to the re-registration, Miko Advisement 102. Even the name of the course had sounded boring and the class so far hadn't been much better, more like a history class than actual tutelage in the use of her newfound abilities.

She began to pick at her meal, eating the vegetables one by one. The archery club had practice again tonight. She had been grateful that she'd had the forethought to snap a photo of the weekly schedule that Monday night after the first practice. Thanks to it she had made it to practice on Wednesday right on time and learned that the club room was open daily from 9 am-9 pm for any student in the club to do personal practice. The Tuesday and Thursday slots were empty, with the last practice for the club on Friday.

The next week of practice had been mostly the same. Steadily she was getting used to the moving target practice and had hit a fourth and even fifth disc sporadically but she still needed more practice before she could boast about anything, or come close to claiming a spot for team events during tournaments. She had learned that their clubs' next tournament would be in September. She would have to do the best she could in the solo events to keep her scholarship into the next semester. The sports grants were reviewed quarterly and she had to maintain a satisfactory level of achievement.

As she ate her fingers twitched at the thought of holding her bow. In high school her club had met every day, the lighter practice schedule in college left her feeling antsy during the off days. Once she was more comfortable, she would start practicing on her own more often but for now, the club room still felt foreign whenever she was there and she was nervous that she may have another accident and hurt someone.

Sesshomaru's words had rung deeply with her, she could have accidentally killed someone. The demon captain of the kendo team had been a knight in shining armor that first night, but she hadn't run into him again since then, although she had done nothing to seek him out. She was sure he was busy with his own life and their meeting had been an accidental occurrence due to her outburst.

A hand clapped her on the shoulder from behind and she nearly choked on the mouthful of rice she had just spooned into her mouth. She sputtered and coughed as doe brown eyes came into her watery view.

"Sorry, Kagome!" Sango patted her on the back trying to soothe her coughing. "I didn't mean to choke you to death!" She laughed nervously and Kagome gave her a small smile once she could breathe.

"It's ok Sango. I was just thinking." She waved off any further apology and the brown-haired girl sat in the chair next to her. Kagome noticed her modest jeans and blue t-shirt covering the athletic girl, her hair pulled into a high ponytail, and she felt comfortable in her favorite grey hoodie and loose jeans that she was wearing today.

"What's up? I don't usually see you down here." Kagome mentioned their difference in schedules. They had become fast friends after her first archery practice, Sango had caught her the next day at school and often since then and they had hung out for a while after practice on Wednesday. She was honest and had an open personality, something Kagome appreciated greatly, she usually didn't bond well with other introverts.

"Well actually… I wanted to give you this!" Sango pulled a colorful slip of paper out of her backpack and slid it across the table to Kagome.

She picked up the slip and eyed it precariously. It was a party invitation for someone named Miroku, the purple and red swirls of the background had black block letters giving a date time and address, 'BYOB' in bold italic oversized letters was at the very bottom. She looked up and met excited brown eyes staring back at her.

"This guy in my ethics class gave them to me, he's a perv but apparently his parents are loaded so his party should be sweet! Want to be my plus one? It's tonight!" Sango did a little shimmy in her chair as she tried to entice Kagome further. "It'll be nice to get off campus, we can dance!"

Kagome eyed the invitation in her hand again. "I don't drink… I'm not old enough." She felt embarrassed saying it aloud but she had never tried alcohol and wasn't interested in breaking the law. Her twentieth birthday was in a few months anyway, she wanted to wait to try her first drink. "And I'm not so sure about dancing…" She continued trying to weasel her way out of attending the event politely.

"Please! I'll be there! We'll have fun!" The pleading of her newest and closest college friend was too difficult to deny and she gave in with a mild sigh. "Fine, but I'm not staying past midnight." She eyed Sango sharply, daring her to contradict her statement but the girl simply flung herself at Kagome with a happy giggle.

"Thank you, it's going to be great!" Sango released her and Kagome found that her friend's exuberant smile was contagious. Sango released Kagome and stood. "I've got to run, calculus is next, pray for my soul!" She waived as she jogged towards the exit and Kagome was left with her mostly finished lunch.

"Bye." Kagome called softly after her and waved in return, becoming used to the girl's fast entrances and exits over their two weeks of knowing each other.

She glanced at her watch and stood to leave for her own upcoming class, she would have just enough time to get there if she left the cafeteria now. She dumped the contents of her tray in a waste bin and walked quickly out of the building. She wasn't exactly excited about tonight but maybe she could have fun if Sango was there. The swirling thoughts weighed her down slightly as she tried to hurry to class.

* * *

Sesshomaru sat on the wooden balcony outside of his clubroom. It was half an hour before practice would start and he had come early once again.

He had been slow to admit it but he was fascinated by the Miko Kagome that he had met on the first day of school. That night he had dismissed his interest as a product of their encounter but her image had yet to leave his thoughts.

By the end of the first week he realized that he was searching for her scent constantly, the soothing scent calmed him whenever it was near and he had caught faint traces of it mixed in the halls of the school buildings. Even now he patiently waited for it to come floating on the breeze as he had learned her club started at the same time as his own.

He had been sure at first that his thoughts and desires would be a distraction but it had been the opposite. His senses were sharp, always searching, his beast still slumbered frequently but it would peek in interest or nudge him in attention, he found his youki had been quicker to answer his call as well. Even his mind had been perfectly clear, despite thoughts and questions of the young Miko swirling in his mind he hadn't faltered in any of his classes and even seemed to be absorbing new information easier.

It left him with no reason not to pursue the woman further, at least to satisfy his newfound interest. He had been staying until the building closed almost every night after practice and even after class, waiting to catch her alone so that they could speak, but she had not stayed after practice or come to the building alone since the first night. He had thought of simply approaching her after the archery club activities ended last Friday, but she had seemed the type to avoid drama, and him talking to her would cause a scene amongst the chatty female members of her club, Inuyasha's sow being particularly easy to rile.

So out of respect for Kagome's space, he had decided to patiently wait, his opportunity would come eventually.

He heard his clubroom doors open and the sound of footsteps followed shortly after. He waited with bated breath for a few tense seconds before he was rewarded with the sound of the archery club doors opening, the sweet scent of jasmine trickling to him on the warm breeze. He let himself inhale deeply, searching the scent for any hint of her emotions or any other change he could detect. He felt thirsty for any information he could get about or from Kagome.

As the scent washed over him, he was easily able to pick up the distinct chatter of the voices next door.

"I'm so excited for tonight!" A feminine voice exclaimed.

"I hope it will be fun, who is Miroku again?" That was Kagome's voice, his interest peaked further at the mention of one of his best club members' names.

"Like I said earlier, he's a total perv from one of my classes. He hits on every girl who looks at him but he's generally harmless and super-rich. His birthday party should be sweet!" the first voice excitedly exclaimed. He rose from his seated position and waited at the balcony doors as his club members began to file in, the start of club practice quickly approaching. He eyed each face, searching for the one he needed and he was rewarded when Miroku and Inuyasha finally came through the door, laughing loudly and clapping each other on their backs.

He strode up to the duo, blocking their path to the locker room, he ignored Inuyashas squawk of indignation and pinned Miroku with a sharp emotionless stare.

"It is your birthday today." He said after a long pause.

"Yah, what's it to ya?" Inuyasha was quick to retort in place of his friend.

He glanced at the foul Hanyou before looking back to Miroku as the man began to speak. "Ah… yes, Captain. I'll be having a party tonight if you'd like to come?" Sesshomaru knew he was only offering out of politeness but that was exactly what he had wanted.

As the young man handed him a slip of an invitation with an address, date, and time printed on it, Sesshomaru nodded slightly in return. "That would be acceptable, I would like to wish you congratulations." He responded politely.

He paid no attention to the two sets of impossibly wide eyes from the young men as he turned on his heel and went to take his place at the far end of the room to conduct practice without commenting any further. He fingered the slip of paper in his hand gently, he hated parties, but he wanted to see Kagome again and it was clear she would be there.

He bristled slightly at the thought of her becoming drunk and falling victim to Miroku or any other horny college students' desires. No, he reasoned, he would not let that happen. His mind swirled with thoughts of the Miko, strengthened by her scent still so fresh in his nostrils, and practice dragged on slowly. He was overly excited about his own personal practice and could hardly wait for practice to be over.

As all the members to his team finally exited the locker room and stood before him, he led them into the first drill. Today would be mostly sparring practice but he made sure to never neglect the basics, instilling the same ethics in his club members. After they had completed three full sets, he called them to attention. Not missing how his half-brother ignored him and continued talking to Miroku who was doing his best not to respond.

"Grab a partner, we will spar for the next hour." He stood at his usual position as the club members began donning their protective gear and forming 6 neat pairs in a circle around the room as they faced off. A much smaller crowd than what there had been on the first day, all the incapable members had been weeded out through their tough practices. He clapped his hands for them to begin and the young men began the first round. After each round he would wall for a rotation, having one partner rotate to the left so each pair was new.

After the third round, Inuyasha came practically charging up to him. His loud exclamations filling the air. "You're up next Sesshomaru!" His wooden sword was pointed at Sesshomaru as he stepped forward. "You never practice, gotta prove you've got what it takes to stay on tha' team!" Inuyasha finished as he came to stand in front of him.

For a moment he considered denying his Hanyou half-brother but the opportunity to pummel his incorrect form may prove to be a valuable lesson for him. "Very well." He replied simply and motioned for Koga who was at his right to hand over his practice sword. It wasn't surprising that all of the club members had stopped to stare as the Hanyou made his challenge.

He grabbed the sword and made his way to the center of the room, not bothering to put on any protective equipment over his white haori and hakama, the Hanyou followed him and they faced each other with a few feet in between them. He motioned for Shippo to come over as their referee, the fox demon stepped forward excitedly.

With the air silent and all eyes on them the fox demon clapped his hands for them to begin, he put his plan into action immediately. He dodged the Hanyou's wild charging and tapped him for a point in his wide-open side.

Shippo raised his hand and they squared off again, once more the Hanyou stepped forward carelessly and he claimed his second point with a less than gentle hit to his opponents' head. Normally that would have been the end but Inuyasha ripped off his mask and snarled. "Again!" He wasn't surprised and this time when he dodged and struck, he put enough force into the blow against Inuyasha's' back to break the bamboo sword in half and send the Hanyou smashing into the ground, the polished wood creaking painfully underneath him.

He waited for several seconds for Inuyasha to rise but when he groaned and stayed down, he relaxed his stance. His eyes moving to scan all the members' stunned faces. "Any other challengers?" He asked the room when nobody responded and a few bowed in submission he nodded his head and handed the broken sword back to Koga. "Assist Miroku in helping Inuyasha to the infirmary." He commanded the wolf demon softly. He got an ecstatic grin in reply and knew the young man would have fun teasing the Hanyou about his complete loss when he awoke.

Once the obstruction had been removed, he turned back to the club members and picked up the undamaged sword that Inuyasha had dropped. "I will fill the empty spot in his place." He stepped up to Naraku who he noticed had been slacking earlier and the other club members returning to their pairs as well. "Begin." He called out instead of clapping.

He made his way through each round, never yielding a single point and offering each team member advice and instruction to improve their technique. He was much gentler than he had been with Inuyasha and provided them with encouragement instead of pain, as was his role as captain.

When Miroku and Koga returned he let the two chuckling men join the drill for a few more rounds before he called the exercise to a close and began their cooldown routine after everyone had put their equipment away.

As they stretched and moved in tandem, he heard the distinct opening of the club next door. He had been thoroughly focused on Inuyasha and his club activities but the moment he relaxed his mind went back to the Miko that captured him so. His senses sharpened as his ears filtered through the sounds of chattering women searching for the only one he had an interest in.

After a distinctly loud group passed through the hall, he heard the quieter steps of two people exiting the club and closing the doors softly behind them. His nose twitched in anticipation as the steps passed his clubroom door and he was rewarded with the faintest trace of her scent coming in through the cracks around his own club room door. The steps passed shortly and quickly and he let his mind settle onto the thought of meeting her tonight.

After their cooldown drills were done, he dismissed everyone with a simple nod. Once the last member had left, he pulled the slip of paper from his inner haori and studied the sheet.

_167 Wind Trail N. Tokyo_

_9 pm, August 8__th__, 2019_

_**BYOB**_

The slip was much too colorful for his own taste but he spent a few seconds memorizing it before he finally put it away once more. He glanced at the clock, 7:20 pm was what it read, he would have to cut his own practice short slightly to be able to shower and arrive on time. He was slightly thankful for his half brother's outburst, at least he had been able to warm up during club practice.

He grabbed his wooden sword from where he had lain it earlier and began the primary portion of his personal practice. After he had worked through the routine twice, he glanced at the clock once more, 8:05 pm, he nodded to himself and put his equipment away before exiting the clubroom and building with long strides.

He made it to his silver sleek sedan, the car was a modest suburban model, designed for fuel efficiency rather than flashiness or power. However, he still kept it in showroom condition and it was a comforting sight every time he came to it in the parking lot. He slid into the vehicle and pulled out of the campus quickly.

His drive home had been short since he lived in one of the many apartments that neighbored the university. The dorms on campus were large but there wasn't enough room for every student and many students preferred more privacy, himself falling into the latter category. He had been an enigma on campus for his entire three years there so far. His father being a chairman of the university held him to a high standard, which he felt no pressure in filling, but it was his excellence in everything that drew even further attention throughout his time there. The need for a quiet resting place had become evident rather quickly, and his father had been quick to find him a suitable place at his request.

He entered the small domain, a flat on the first floor of a three-story building. The space featured a wide combined living and dining area, a kitchenette nestled in the corner. As he came in, he dropped his things onto the sofa in front of the coffee table and made his way to the bathroom. He undressed quickly, neatly placing his clothes in the hamper beside the shower before he turned on the water and eagerly stepped in.

He was excited and nervous, the swirl of emotion not giving his mind time to wander as he washed his hair thoroughly, his body receiving the same treatment soon after and stepped out of the shower grabbing a towel to wrap around his waist as he moved to the bedroom.

Once there he pulled out a pair of black slick jeans and a Silver short-sleeved button-down shirt with black accents at the sleeves and collar from his dresser and pulled the clothes onto his form quickly. Black sleek sneakers slid over his feet and he combed his damp hair before tying it into a low ponytail at the nape of his neck with a black rubber band. Lastly, he pulled on a well-worn silver watch with a black leather band.

Sesshomaru glanced at the mirror above his dresser and nodded at himself briefly before grabbing his keys and wallet from his messenger bag and pocketed them before heading for the door. He would need to pick up a gift and booze before he arrived, he glanced at his watch and his brow twitched in frustration. It was already 9:05 pm he would late. He fled his domain and reentered his car, intent on being as quick as possible. Excitement swirled in his blood, his beast staying awake and at attention in his mental cage, he felt primal tonight.

* * *

Kagome stood next to Sango near the pool as the girl animatedly talked about historical weaponry with a classmate she had run into, who knew she had a passion for such a thing. She looked around, taking in the overwhelming view. Sango hadn't been exaggerating when she's said Miroku was loaded. His parents' home was practically a mansion and the game and dining rooms along with the pool and garden area that they bordered had been decorated in what had to be thousands of dollars of sparkling, purple decorations. Banners and streamers hung everywhere, the bushes and home itself were covered in strings of lights, the late-night party making it the perfect time to use them. It seemed that even the pool had been dyed a violet hue, it wasn't hard to guess Miroku's favorite color.

It was still slightly early, they had left practice and returned to the dorms. Sango stayed on the floor above Kagome, which was reserved for second-year students, so they parted ways to get ready, Sango being quicker than herself at such things had been tapping at her door as she was still trying to figure out what to wear.

The older girl had begun rifling through her closet and dresser as soon as she gave her permission to and put together a modestly flashy look. A pair of dark blue jeans that were fitted but not tight along with a long green silk top that billowed around her comfortably and a pair of silver sandals to match. She had protested slightly when the girl tied one of her long silver hair ribbons around her waist to draw in the shirt to a fitted style, but Sango had whisked her hair into a loose bun with a single hairpin and pulled her out the door before she could protest further.

From their spot outside she was able to watch each guest as they came in and she was thankful for her friends' fashion sense. She felt dressier than she thought her wardrobe capable of and the expensive clothing of each arriving guest made her feel only slightly insecure. She was here just to accompany Sango and have a good time, she didn't need to feel any pressure to compare herself to others. As she noticed the area starting to fill, the chattering of the guests getting louder she saw a familiar face pass by. Inuyasha, he had been a frequent visitor to the archery club and she couldn't help but notice the bandages on his face and the sour look he had while he stalked towards the other side of the pool.

She drew her attention back to Sango as she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Let's go inside, I hear Miroku is ready to get this party started!" Her friends exited face had her smiling and following her into the dining area of the house.

A long dining table in the center of the room was stacked neatly with gifts of varying size and shape, all of them colorfully wrapped and addressed to Miroku. On one side of the room was another table filled with various bottles of booze and two standing kegs of what she assumed was beer, on the other side of the room was a single large round table that had a cake the size of a Christmas tree, and shaped like one too, with its 21 layers of decorated sugary discs. At the head of the table was a dark-haired man, he looked to be in his young twenties although his current situation made him look more like a spoiled child and she assumed from the cake that he was turning twenty-one today.

"I didn't know rich people acted like this on their birthdays." She commented quietly to her friend. As the sound of a speaker turning on pinged through the room.

"Not all of them, but Miroku likes to party. I went to his party last year so I kind of know what to expect." Her friend gave her a thumbs up before a voice came over the speaker, Miroku's mouth moving in time with the words, she realized he was wearing a wireless microphone.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen! I'm going to rip these all open, we'll cut that cake and start this night right!" As he was speaking, he stood and began ripping open presents and thanking his guests over the microphone as he went around the table from one present to the next.

Most of them were expensive clothes or jewelry, colognes, several pre-paid vacation and cruise vouchers. As she watched the display, a thought suddenly hit Kagome and she turned to whisper in Sango's ear. "Did you get him a present?"

She noticed an odd blush creep across Sango's face and the brown-eyed girl turned towards a section of the table near the very end and pointed to a small modestly wrapped rectangular gift. "I did, though it won't compare to the others." Her solemn tone was strange and Kagome wondered about her friend for a moment.

Miroku made his way down the table quickly and she waited curiously for him to reach Sangos' gift. When he did, he slowed and turned to find them in the crowd with his searching eyes, once he did the exuberant man ripped the packaging off and opened the gift box inside. He didn't lift the contents out, much to Kagomes dismay, before he closed the box again and smiled brightly waving at Sango before pocketing the box and moving on to the next gift with increased speed.

She noticed her friends blush deepen slightly before she turned away so Kagome couldn't see her face. It was only a few moments longer before Miroku was thanking the last gift giver and making his way to the massive cake tower. He came to stand beside it and a laptop was brought to him by one of his housemaids.

"Alright, everyone! Who wants cake?!" Miroku practically yelled into the microphone.

When the room cheered in response Kagome shielded her ears but didn't miss the shower of sparkles as what sounded like an army of hummingbirds entered the room from the pool area door that had been left open. She looked up as music began to fill the room and the humming noise was revealed to be an army of small drones. The swarm flew into the high ceiling of the room before descending on the cake, neatly slicing and placing even portions on tiny plates before flying to the guests.

Kagome and Sango took their plates when the small flying machines hovered overhead. She was too stunned to really appreciate the great deal of programming such a feat would need in order to accomplish. As everyone began to eat the music in the room played slightly louder, Sango downed her food in several bites and Kagome followed her friends' example, mildly surprised at the plain vanilla flavor and buttercream icing. They grabbed a bottle of water from the refreshment table to wash down their food.

Once finished they walked towards the game room tossing their plates and utensils in a large trash bin on the way. Sango took her hand and pulled her to an old-style Dance Dance Revolution arcade system that flashed invitingly in the corner of the room, many of the guests flocked around the shooting games, virtual reality corner and old-style drinking games but she could tell her friend was eager to start their night with this machine.

"Come on Kagome, we can warm up slowly." Her friend's eyes glittered in delight and the machine buzzed to life when they stepped onto the platform.

She looked around and saw no one was really paying them any attention, and smiled at her friend. "OK, lead the way." She pointed playfully at the scrolling music screen in front of them.

They danced to a few songs together and Kagome was blind to the world around them as they got lost in the fun of competing for the best score. She knew Sango was going easy on her but she still puffed her chest in pride as her side of the screen flashed 'Victory' in bright text.

"I'm gunna go grab a drink, you want more water?" Sango asked as she stepped off the game platform.

Kagome nodded. "That would be great." As her friend walked into the next room Kagome slowly walked through the crowd, looking at the different games.

Sango appeared back at her side, handing Kagome a bottle of water while she took a sip from her own purple solo cup. She noticed Sango was intently focused on the crowd of people who had started dancing in the dining room. The present table had been moved to the side, the lights lowered and a deep constant base rang from the speakers within.

Sango swayed slightly and she considered offering to dance with her for a moment, but she truly detested the idea of being so close to so many sweaty gyrating strangers. "Go dance if you want to Sango." Her friend turned to her with innocent brown eyes.

"No, it's fine…" Sango started but Kagome shushed her with a wave of her hand. "It's fine. I'll be here checking out the games when you're done." Her bright smile was only partially fake, she wanted Sango to have a good time too, and she was interested in the games, although the crowds of people around each one would probably stop her from actually playing any of them.

Sango's eyes swirled with thanks. "You're the best, just a few songs and I'll be right back!" She waved to the brown-haired girl as she dove into the crowd of writhing young adults and disappeared.

Kagome turned towards the games around her and decided she would take a break by the traditional party games, there was a decently sized sitting area around a ping pong table that was currently being used for beer pong. She settled onto a small two-seat sofa on the wall facing the table and began watching the half-finished game currently going on.

She had noticed the game earlier, it seemed incredibly simple but each side seemed to give a great deal of effort and was truly grievous in taking their penalty drinks. She gathered quickly that it was a game of two versus two, simply tossing a ball into the cups and she was charmed by the simplicity of it as she patiently sat and sipped her water.

* * *

Sesshomaru shifted uncomfortably as he finally stepped into the dining room that had been turned into a dance floor. His ears thrummed painfully at the loud music permeating the room. He spotted a large table with opened gifts and dropped his own impromptu gift next to the opened ones and placed the bottle of rum he'd brought with him next to it.

He turned and scanned the room carefully, searching for his target. He was relieved when he didn't see or scent the Miko he was searching for amongst the crowd. He moved to the outdoor area next and wasn't surprised to find the area crowded with drunken couples making out in secluded areas. He clicked his tongue in annoyance and discretely searched the couples, quieting his beast's agitation that was building.

Again, he felt relief when she was nowhere to be found around the pool or in the dimly lit garden. As he made his way back towards the house, he caught the faint hint of jasmine mingled amongst all of the mingling scents. His anxiousness turned to excitement as he quickened his pace entering the dining room again and quickly veering towards the game room where the noise of electronics pinged loudly.

When he rounded the corner of the doorway his senses exploded and his vision tunneled onto the Miko he had been seeking. There she sat, politely cupping a bottle of water as she silently watched a group playing a ridiculous drinking game. Beer pong was something he had tried once and found utterly dull, but he took the moment to silently admire Kagome.

He was content so far with just having her in his sights, she was safe from all the ridiculous danger his mind had conjured and he admonished himself slightly. She seemed like a reasonable individual, of course, she wouldn't fall prey to any simpletons' tricks to seduce or intoxicate her.

Her hair was pulled up delicately and the soft material of her shirt glimmered slightly. The ribbon under her breasts accentuated her curvy form and he felt himself swallow the thick feeling in his throat as his eyes followed the line of her side. He tried to sort through his swirling thoughts, he had begun to think he himself was lusting after the young woman, that would explain his desire to prevent her from being with another male at this party. Yet as he studied her now the feeling consuming him was distinctly different from any form of lust he had felt in the past.

Still, he couldn't deny the warmth blossoming through his veins and for a few long moments, he watched her features intently. He frowned when she seemed to suddenly become agitated and he followed her shifting gaze to his Hanyou half-brother and his loud-mouthed girlfriend. The two had been drawn to the game as well, the Hanyou obviously looking to soothe his pride from earlier with the pointless drinking competition.

He drew his eyes back to Kagome and froze when deep pools of blue met his own golden gaze. Her swirling orbs were shining with so many emotions that he couldn't stop himself from stepping towards her. He hadn't wanted to cause a scene by talking to her around so many people but he wanted to answer the call he saw in her gaze.

His steps were quiet as he weaved through the crowd and came to stand directly in front of her, he broke their gaze to look to the unoccupied cushion next to her. "May I?" he asked as he gestured to it.

He wasn't expecting the blush that rushed across Kagome's face and he thought for a moment she may refuse but she smiled politely and nodded at him. "Hello, Sesshomaru." The soft words reached his ears as he settled lightly in the seat, being careful not to lean against her. "I didn't expect to see you here." The miko continued and he turned to meet curious blue eyes.

"Miroku is a member of my club." He explained shortly, hoping that she wouldn't question it further.

"I see." Her comment seemed distracted and her eyes darted to the side to glance in Inuyasha's direction once more before settling on the game currently being played before them.

"Are you waiting for a chance to play?" He asked her, wanting to hear her voice again and struggling to find a suitable topic through his adrenaline.

She turned to him with surprise and he noticed a nervous tint to her scent as she looked into her lap before responding. "Ah.. no, I'm not old enough to drink." She looked back up a moment later and a small sheepish smile graced her lips. "It's just that the game itself reminds me of the ones at festivals." She mimicked tossing the small ball with her dainty fingers. "I love those games."

The smile on her face as she spoke of playing the game was true and he wanted to let her experience it. "You should play." He eyed the table noticing the current game was almost over.

"I really don't drink." Kagome was holding her hands up in a firm X in front of her.

Sesshomaru couldn't help but chuckle lightly at her childish determination. "I will be your partner and take the penalties." He let the corner of his mouth tilt in a small smile as the surprise returned to Kagome's face and she slowly turned to face the game table.

"Are you sure? I've never played… do you like beer that much?" Her questioning was nervous but she didn't outright deny his offer.

In all honesty, he detested beer, he only offered in an attempt to make Kagome happy, she obviously wanted to play the game. "I am confident you will easily conquer the game." He replied instead of answering her questions.

He looked towards the table in front of them, each side only had one cup left, Kagome's eyes followed he was clearly able to see the excitement as she watched the winning shot sink into place.

Sesshomaru rose from his chair and offered Kagome his hand. "Now is our chance, Miko." He spoke softly, a playful grin tugging at his lips.

He watched as Kagome drew her lower lip between her teeth, and waited patiently for her answer. When she finally placed her hand in his he wasn't expecting the shock of feeling that washed through him as they made contact. His beast was pushing his youki to the surface, it felt as if the creature wanted to stroke the small human in front of him. His chest rumbled soundlessly in pleasure as he pulled Kagome to her feet, he kept a light grip on her hand and led her to one end of the table as the previous competitors cleared out of the way.

As they did a maid stepped in, re-setting the table with fresh cups filled with water and laying out a line of cold beers next to each pyramid. Sesshomaru stepped forward with Kagome at his side to claim one end of the table and a small chorus of chatter rang through the gathered crowd.

Inuyasha suddenly appeared at the other end of the table, Kikyo at his side and Sesshomaru was mildly annoyed when he began speaking. "Ya think ya ca' beat me a' Pong Sesshomaru?" The Hanyou slurred, already inebriated.

He merely tipped his head in a challenge and the imbecile slammed his hand on the table, jarring the neatly placed game cups. "You're on!" His half-brother snarled.

He noticed Kagome at his side was quickly flashing her eyes between the two of them, anxiousness clear in the way she held her free hand in front of her chest.

He stroked his thumb across the top of her hand in his grip before finally releasing their hold. Her frantic eyes finally stopped on him and he spoke to alleviate her concerns. "I'm sure you know Inuyasha." At her sharp nod, he continued. "He is my fathers' second spawn." He detested calling him his brother out loud, the words suggested some resemblance or equality, which he shared none of with Inuyasha.

Kagome's blue eyes widened comically and he patted her back lightly in assurance. "He will be a suitable first opponent if his game skills here are anything like his Kendo or academic skill it will be no different from a festival game for you." He mimicked her earlier words.

Her blue eyes darted back to the couple across from them and she spoke softly. "He seems angry." He nodded in agreement even though she wasn't looking.

"It is his usual demeanor." A ball was given to each team by the attending maids and Sesshomaru handed it to Kagome. "The first shot decides the turns." He explained and Kagome looked between the ball in her hands and the stack of cups across the table.

"I guess it's too late to back down now." His chest filled with a small amount of pride as the miko took a calming breath and faced the challenge head-on. She tossed her ball and it landed neatly in the single cup at the top of Inuyasha's pyramid.

The Hanyou growled and tossed his own ball, it bounced off the rim of a cup in the back row and fell to the floor.

Sesshomaru nodded and Kagome's excited eyes flashed to his. "Very good, we go first now." The maid brought over their ball once more and the game began in earnest.

On her first try Kagome sunk the ball into the same cup with a gentle toss. When it was brought back to them Kagome took it gratefully and paused. "Continue until you miss." He encouraged her. She nodded determinedly and took her next shot, once more sinking the ball into another of the ten cups.

Her excitement permeated the air, lacing her scent in a coil of vanilla that had him wanting to hold her close so he could breathe it in deeply. He tempered the urge and watched intently as she took her third shot, finally missing her target.

Inuyasha huffed from across the table and Kikyo handed him two beers. "Beginners luck! Ya' gunna let tha wench fight ya' battle fo' ya'?" He shouted before cracking the cans open and messily downing them in a mock show of strength.

Sesshomaru ignored his display and focused on Kagome as they waited for the Hanyou to take his turn. When he did and missed once again Sesshomaru was slightly relieved, he was slightly hoping to avoid the foul beer through this game if he could.

"Calm down Inuyasha." Kikyo admonished lightly from across the table as the Hanyou started to cuss and throw a fit.

Kagome took her shot once more and it hit the edge of a cup, landing in the neighboring one. "Ah… that was close." The miko spoke softly next to him, he could see she was intently focused on the game and again he felt a small blossom of pride at her seriousness.

She took a little more time with her second toss and it missed its target. Bouncing off the table right in front of the cup it was intended for. She looked up at him and smiled apologetically. "It's more difficult with fewer cups." She explained unnecessarily.

He nodded in reply. "Focus on the outer ones." He turned as Inuyasha finished his single penalty drink and was mildly surprised when Kikyo took the ball from his hands. The Hanyou turned to yell at her but shrunk when she pinned him with a sharp look.

He grimaced as she tossed the ball much like Kagome had been and it sunk delicately into the center cup. Kagome looked at him, worry lines creasing her brow as Kikyo took her second shot and again it landed into the cup right next to where her first shot had landed.

Kagome's chest stopped moving as she held her breath for the third shot, a deep sigh rushing between her lips when the ball hit the rim of the cup, skating around the inside before flying out to land on the table harmlessly.

Kagome took the ball from the maid that was offering it to her and turned back to him, the worry still lining her face as she waited for him to take his penalty drinks.

Sesshomaru grabbed one of the cans of liquid lined up next to their cups and popped the lid gently. He glanced at Kagome from the corner of his eye as he stabbed his clawed forefinger into the bottom of the can as he tipped his head back and swallowed the contents in one long draw. He did the same with the second can and set them aside, he wiped a stray drop of liquid from the corner of his mouth and nodded at the Miko at his side. "Continue." He made sure to keep his tone light despite the foul taste curling across his taste buds.

Kagome laid a hand on his arm and his skin warmed soothingly at her touch. "I'm sorry." She whispered to him quietly, perhaps he wasn't hiding his disdain for the beer as well as he had thought.

She turned back to the table and he could see the focus return to her features as she lined up her next shot.

The game had become a competition between the two women, Kikyo not relinquishing her control of the ball and Sesshomaru refusing to take any shots even when Kagome offered repeatedly. With the men taking all of the penalty drinks, Inuyasha had been forced to down eight beers at this point and was hanging off the side of the table in obvious drunkenness.

Sesshomaru eyed the five cups in front of them and he grinned inwardly, their victory was almost certainly assured. He fought the relaxing swirl of heat he felt radiating from his stomach, but he could feel himself swaying lightly in place and he cursed his body's reaction.

Kagome took several deep breaths and let the ball fly from her fingertips, it landed in one of the two remaining cups and she jumped in place with excitement before freezing at Kikyo's slap of her hand against the table. His companion took her next shot and narrowly missed the last cup.

Sesshomaru eyed the opposing team and narrowed his eyes at the female, Kikyo was an athletic intelligent female if not a bit crossed personality-wise but he could not fathom her reasoning for being with Inuyasha and it brought down his level of respect for the girl, her behavior now only solidifying that reasoning as he watched her force another drink into the sloshed Hanyou's hand.

Kagome grabbed the edge of the table in nervousness as she watched Kikyo take her next shot, it bounced angrily into and out of one cup only to land in the neighboring one, He hissed slightly in displeasure and Kagome met his gaze with a flash of remorse swirling in her eyes. Again, he noticed her holding her breath as Kikyo took her next shot, it missed by a wide margin and he couldn't stop his own sigh of relief. He quickly downed another drink, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand in disgust before he crushed the can in his grip and nodded to Kagome who was waiting for him to recover. Her eyes were hard and determined as she turned to face the last remaining cup.

Again the heat coiled outward from his stomach and he leaned on the table slightly as he watched Kagome intently, completely forgetting the game for a moment as he admired the soft curve of her back, the muscles in her arms shifted and bunched the fabric covering them as she moved to toss the ball.

It landed with a soft 'plop' in the final cup in front of Inuyasha and Kikyo. The crowd around them erupted in applause and Kagome seemed shocked as several people yelled out congratulations and other praise.

Sesshomaru felt satisfaction and pride swell in his chest as well as he thoughtlessly reached out and pulled the young Miko into a loose hug, closing his eyes to enjoy the warmth and softness of her embrace. "You did well." He spoke roughly, the alcohol in his system loosening the control he usually had over his tone.

He felt her arms wrap around him briefly before moving to his chest and pushing away slightly. He opened his eyes to meet blue depths staring up at him, a wide excited smile spreading across her face. "Thank you!" She exclaimed as she closed her eyes and laughed.

Later he would blame the alcohol, curse it even, but at that moment, he couldn't stop the urge to lean down and capture her lips with his. He felt the moment the air shifted as his mouth met the Miko's soft flesh, for several long moments he was engulfed in pleasure like none other he had ever experienced. Her taste was divine, her scent filled his nose and he couldn't stop himself as his tongue darted out to smooth against her lower lip.

That small action seemed to break the spell stopping time and suddenly reality came crashing back. The stunned chatter of everyone watching them reached his ears just as Kagome pulled away, one hand covering her mouth as the other wrapped around her waist in a protective self-embrace. He reached for her but froze as fear skittered across her gaze, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. His beast crooned in sorrow and his eyes flashed darkly.

He dropped his hand, guilt replacing the warmth of the alcohol in the pit of his stomach. "My apologies." He said loud enough for only Kagome to hear and bowed his head to her before he turned from her and quickly headed for the open doors leading out to the pool. He needed to get away from her before he harassed her more and hopefully, the outside air would clear her scent from his nose where it still called to him.

The sight of fear crossing Kagome's deep honest gaze kept flashing in his mind, his beast whined painfully and he felt the remorse in the deepest parts of his soul. She feared him, many feared him, but this one human was different. He had so desired to form a bond with her, to do what he hadn't figured out quite yet. Now he stood little chance of ever speaking to her again, he wouldn't torment her with his presence.

He paced down the length of the pool and turned into the entrance of the garden. He let his youki fan out and guide him down an uninhabited path that led to a small pavilion surrounded by rows of bushes and backed by one large tree. He swayed still with the drunkenness he felt and he steered towards the structure, settling onto a bench once inside.

He drew his spread youki back into his form and closed his eyes, resting his elbows on his knees and his heavy head on his hands. Again, his beast whined painfully, he shivered as the feeling rolled through him and bit the inside of his cheek harshly and cursed his lapse in control.

The taste of copper filled his mouth but it didn't ease his tension.

* * *

Kagome stood stunned as Sesshomaru's lips touched hers. She had been so excited, the game they had been playing was exhilarating. She had never intended to take on Inuyasha and Kikyo but Sesshomarus encouragement and the party atmosphere had made her feel free.

Sesshomaru had been the perfect partner and gentleman the entire time, taking all of their penalty drinks without a word of comment despite the fact he obviously disliked the taste. She had wondered briefly why then he had offered to play with her and refused to shoot the ball himself but she had been too absorbed in the competition to actually ask him those things.

Then they had won, and she was so happy she could cry, and she had started to do just that. Hugging Sesshomaru happily, she'd pulled away to thank him and been completely astonished when she was met with his warm lips pressing against hers. She could hear the whispers in the room blossom immediately, turning into jeering and crude shouts. Her reflexes came back to life as she felt a warm appendage brush her bottom lip and she had pulled away. The crowd and situation were all too overwhelming and different from what they had been seconds earlier.

She backed away and pressed a hand to her mouth, holding her stomach afraid the butterflies she felt twirling in her gut would burst outward if she didn't keep them in. The pressure of the crowd around her seemed to swallow her whole and the fear of the repercussions of everything that just happened came rushing to her brain.

She had humiliated Kikyo, her club captain, and popular figure at her school, and then kissed the Captain of the Kendo club, Inuyasha's older brother, in the victory of that feat. She would face purgatory, it was certain. Fear consumed her and before she could regain focus Sesshomaru was apologizing and turning away from her.

She panicked slightly, her eyes darting around for Sango. Her heart soared in relief when she saw the girl waving her over from the corner of the room. She rushed to meet her and practically grabbed onto her for support.

"Oh god, Sango. What have I done?" She practically cried as she felt safe in her friends embrace, her warm brown eyes encouraging her to let it all out. "Did you see all of that? I don't have to explain right?" She knew she was rambling in the form of questions but she couldn't stop.

Sango rubbed her back slightly and guided her towards the exit door, grabbing a bottle of water on the way out and handing it to Kagome. She pulled her to a stop and Kagome practically lost her footing at the action. "Listen Kagome." Her friend began. "Tonight, was a good night, you played a game and won, your opponents don't matter it was just a party game." Sango softened her tone slightly before continuing. "And I don't know very much about Sesshomaru, but I've never seen him at a party let alone picking up chicks, so that kiss… that was something only for you."

Kagome's throat twisted slightly, she had so many questions but she couldn't seem to voice them. "Think about it later, for now let's get home." Sango smiled slightly and they started walking towards the street. Miroku's house was a short walk from the university campus and Kagome was thankful for the exercise as it kept her mind busy. What did Sango mean by that kiss was for her? She hardly knew Sesshomaru, but he had been a gentleman every time she met him. She decided on the walk home that speculating wouldn't solve anything, she would need to ask him herself what his intentions were, and that thought was both terrifying and exhilarating.

* * *

*** Thanks for reading again! All the reviews have helped me decide to keep going and complete this story. Question for my reviewers, would you like me to focus on the sports or romance aspect of this story? At the moment I'm trying my best to blend 50/50 but I need to choose a side, it won't affect the main plot. As always thanks for any and all reviews, it really encourages me to update quickly!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Apology

Kagome smiled at Sango as her friend droned on about her Ethics class. It had been almost a week since Mirokus' birthday party. She had been shaken that night, she didn't like to be the center of attention in any situation, but especially not a foreign one. After they had gotten back to their dorms room she had fallen into bed and slept like she had been awake for days.

Sesshomaru hadn't come to her thoughts until the next morning, and she had been thankful it was the weekend and she could spend the day mulling over her internal questions.

Would Kikyo treat her even worse in practice now? The rational part of her brain reasoned that this was college now not high school, and the Captain of a club would only be able to make things slightly worse.

Then what about Sesshomaru? She had learned from Sango that day that the captain of the kendo team was seldom at such parties. Despite his looks, academic, and sports achievements he did not flaunt his success. Her friend was only a year older and hadn't known Sesshomaru very well but she also didn't believe him to be a player, never having seen him with another woman.

Why had he kissed her then? Perhaps it was a product of the alcohol, he had consumed a nominal amount during their game. She reasoned that if that was the case, his apology had been because he believed he had offended her. The way he had fled the room troubled her though, was he ashamed because of all the other people watching? She knew that no matter how much she speculated no answer she came to would be equal to asking the demon Captain himself.

That posed a mighty mountain to conquer, he had thoroughly captured her interest in the two times they had met and she now had questions that her mind wouldn't let her leave unanswered.

"…. Can you believe that Kagome?" She snapped her eyes to Sango's brown ones as they finally neared the athletics building.

She scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?" She asked her friend.

Sangos' eyes narrowed before she sighed heavily. And opened the door for them to go inside. "Nothing important, have you talked to him yet?" She asked and Kagome looked at the ground shyly.

"Ah no… I just haven't run into him yet." She looked up and smiled slightly. Quickly busying herself with checking her watch, it read 5:36 pm.

They reached the clubroom quickly; it was a Thursday so most clubs didn't have practice including their own. Sango was accompanying her to do some personal practice. The older girl knew how to operate the moving target machine and was happy to help her practice.

"Well make sure you take the opportunity if it comes up." Sango said softly as they entered the locker room and changed quickly. Kagome donned her new college uniform. The blue hakama a nice change now that she had a few days to get used to them.

To her surprise Kikyo had been completely normal at practice on Monday, still awful and horribly chatty, but no worse than before. She had even given her the new uniform without much of a fuss.

"I will Sango. But right now, I need to conquer these discs." She replied back to her friend as they exited the locker room with their equipment in tow.

"Ok, you just seem distracted." Sango eyed her knowingly as they began to stretch.

They finished warming up and she followed her friend to the laptop controlling the disc machine that she struggled with. She watched as her friend turned it on and instructed her on how to set the machine.

Once she had a grasp on the controls Sango let her set the first round. "We can take turns." Kagome said as she lined up first on the balcony, waiting for Sango to clap in a signal that the machine was about to fire.

After half an hour of struggling to hit the fifth arrow in each round, Kagome finally called a break and took a seat as Sango fetched them each a bottle of water before settling beside her.

"How do the group members hit them all so easily?" Kagome asked her friend.

Sango set her drink down. "They are all Mikos, Kikyo, Tsubaki, Botan, Momiji, Kaede, and Tsukiyomi." She continued after naming the core members. "Kaede is Kikyo's older sister, and probably the nicest of the group, she explained it to me once as guiding her arrows with her spirit." She shrugged her shoulders lightly. "I'm not really sure what that means since I'm not a Miko."

Kagome couldn't really picture it either, she sometimes felt the touch of that explosive power from weeks ago but it never occurred to her to try to use it. She frowned as she thought of her miko class, it was proving to be fairly useless.

"Apparently I am a miko," Kagome said finally to break the silence between them.

Sango didn't look surprised and patted her on the shoulder. "I knew I saw promise in you!" They rose from their resting spot and Sango made her way to the laptop. "I've got half an hour before I need to pick up my little brother from school. Let's do one more round." Kagome nodded and walked back to the balcony, trying to focus on her practice.

By the time the round was finished both girls were sweating and Kagome had been no closer to figuring out how to hit the fifth arrow. Sango quickly gathered her things and bid Kagome farewell. "Don't forget that the building closes at nine!" She yelled as she practically ran out into the hall.

Once she was alone Kagome turned to the empty room. She had wanted Sangos help with the target machine but now she had a new challenge to tackle, how was she supposed to use her miko power to strengthen her archery?

She mulled the thought over for a moment, she had learned from her miko class that people of holy power wielded their energy in a similar way to demons and their youki, though she hardly understood what that was. Her mind flashed to Sesshomaru; he may be able to answer some of those questions as well.

She worried her lower lip between her teeth and eyed the door of the clubroom. His club was right next door and she wondered if he would be there. She hadn't noticed any of the kendo club members in the hall earlier so his club probably didn't have practice today.

Still, she could knock on the door and find out, she hadn't been searching for him but she was overflowing with curiosity and if he was there and not conducting practice at least she wouldn't be interrupting anything.

Steeling her nerves and shelving her doubts Kagome left her club room and paced the few steps to the next door down in the hall. She rapped lightly against the door with her knuckles waiting for a moment with bated breath. When she heard nothing, Kagome released a small sigh of disappointment and relief and turned to walk away. After taking only a single step the door slid open quickly and she turned back to the portal.

Kagome turned and froze as the image of Sesshomaru standing tall in the doorway greeted her. His long hair was pulled back as it had been the last time that she had seen him, his form was clad in similar clothing to her own. She finally settled her gaze on his face and turned to face him fully as his amber eyes widened and he looked as if he wanted to speak, opening his mouth before snapping it shut as his gaze turned from pleading to mournful.

"Ah… are you… busy Sesshomaru?" She could barely expel the words under the weight of his changing gaze but she had to get the answer to her questions, the worst he could do is tell her to leave, and even then, she would have at least one answer.

"No." He answered simply and quietly. She held his gaze and pushed the request from her lips with great effort. "Can we talk then?"

His eyes flashed with an emotion she couldn't recognize before he straightened slightly and stepped aside. "Of course." He replied and motioned for her to step inside.

Kagome took a calming breath and stepped past the tall demon, stopping once she was several feet into the room. She looked around slightly, taking in all of the different sports equipment and decorations from her own club room, as well as the fact that they were alone. She turned back to Sesshomaru and smiled shyly; he had been watching her look around.

"Is there somewhere we can sit down?" She asked slightly calmer than she had been in the hall.

Sesshomaru's golden gaze slid from her to a glass door on the wall across from them. "There is an outdoor yard." His words were soft and Kagome moved towards the door when he made no motions at all after answering her.

She stepped outside and settled onto the wooden ledge that hung slightly above the neatly groomed grass, assuming that Sesshomaru would follow her. She was calmed by his quiet demeanor as he joined her, sitting a little over a foot away from her and watching her with slightly side-eyes, she focused on diving into the conversation she had prepared over the time since the party.

"First, thank you for playing beer pong with me at the party, I had a really great time because of you." She wanted to start off the conversation light and she couldn't help the slight fluttering she felt in her stomach as Sesshomaru eagerly nodded before he replied. "It was my pleasure." His words were still soft but his tone was slightly clearer.

"Do you go to parties often?" She continued the conversation when he didn't comment further.

Sesshomarus gaze held hers firmly as a few moments passed in silence. "No, I went because I heard you would be attending." His eyes didn't shift from hers; his words were clear; he was being honest.

She asked her next question hoping his answer would be equally honest. "Why did you kiss me Sesshomaru?" She could hear her own heart thrumming loudly in her ears as she waited for him to answer once more.

The amber of his eyes swirled and darkened, she could clearly see lines of red creeping into the corners of his eyes and he leaned forward slightly as he spoke. "At that moment, it was my greatest desire." His words were clear but he seemed slightly strained as he talked.

Kagome turned away from him, finally breaking their eye contact as she felt heat creep across her cheeks. She finally got the answers she was looking for and now she had, even more, beginning to form in her mind.

"You disliked it." The same strained tone met her ears and she turned to face him again. "The alcohol is no excuse for my lack of control, again I apologize for touching you without your consent." Her blue orbs widened as the kendo captain turned to face her, pulling his legs underneath his form and bowing his head to the floor.

Kagome waved her hands in front of her but realized he couldn't see her, her voice cracked as she spoke. "That's not… you don't need to… it's not that I didn't like it!" Her final exclamation had the blush on her cheeks darkening further.

Sesshomaru rose from his bow, the red in his eyes seeming to pulse as he caught her gaze and held it in a challenge. "You pushed away from me." His tone was becoming rougher. "You clearly feared me." He practically spat the last word and if he hadn't been bowing moments earlier, she would have thought he was angry with her. Instead, she took his change in tone as frustration and hurried to clarify his misunderstanding.

"You… startled me Sesshomaru, I wasn't exactly expecting you to kiss me." She continued quickly as his eyes narrowed slightly in disbelief. "I don't really do parties… Sango, uhm, my friend drug me there. It was already kind of overwhelming, then you… you know… and the crowd and Kikyo is my team captain… and… and… it was all just too much. I was afraid of the situation… not of you." She finally cut off her rambling and managed to make some sense with her words.

Sesshomaru's gaze still held hers and she squeaked slightly when he bowed his head to the floor again his clawed hands biting into the wooden floor making it splinter and crack. "I apologize."

Her eyes widened as she watched the display, she still wondered why this demon was so interested in like her but she had never been treated or pursued so earnestly before. He was truly sorry for causing her any discomfort and she had already forgiven him. She reached out to touch his shoulder and froze when he shivered and made a low whine.

She retracted her hand. "Please stop bowing Sesshomaru, I forgive you." When he rose, her eyes widened slightly as his own flashing gaze met hers, the red creeping at the edge of his eyes had almost fully taken over, the neat magenta lines on his cheeks were larger and jagged, and his breathing was long and slow.

"Sesshomaru… your eyes… what's wrong?" She had only seen a demon's eyes change a handful of times and it usually meant they were angry or scared, she didn't understand why he would be either of those things right now.

"My beast wishes for us to apologize in an inuyoukai way." His words were strained but clear, she noticed his upper fangs had grown slightly and made his words lisp dangerously. "Restraining myself is difficult… I do not wish to offend you again." Her gaze was drawn to his white-knuckled grip on the floor and she felt the flutter of emotion in her stomach again.

She looked back to his face and steeled herself for her next words, she had a feeling they would change their budding relationship from awkward acquaintances into something more and she wanted that to happen. For now, she desperately wanted to know more about the demon in front of her, wanted to understand why he had sought her out.

His scarlet and amber gaze never left hers as she opened her mouth. "Please… don't hold back Sesshomaru, I give you my permission." She smiled warmly and held out her hand in invitation.

* * *

Sesshomaru had been struggling for days, his mind wandered aimlessly. His muscles ached with tiredness since he had hardly slept. He had been consumed with guilt the night of Miroku's birthday, his intention for going had been to protect Kagome, perhaps take the opportunity to talk to her.

He had done so and everything was wonderful, but then he had lost it, just for a moment his tenuous grip on his control had slipped and he let himself drown in the pleasure of a single kiss. And drown he did, down to the deepest layers of filth, he had done exactly what he had set out to protect Kagome from.

He had taken advantage of the situation, of her trust, and now he was paying the price, struggling to function as grief at his actions consumed him. He had taken to resting in the yard at his club's dojo, he still couldn't sleep but sometimes he would smell Kagome's lingering scent next door and for a moment he would find a piece of sanity.

He realized now that he sought the young female as a mate, he was still young and it had taken him some time to understand the feelings. It was too late now, now he simply had to find a way to move on and try to calm his beast's constant painful whines. The creature hadn't stopped since the night of the party, but it seemed to realize she wouldn't be returning and had quieted it's crying enough for him to function, somewhat.

Even now he sat in the yard of his club's dojo, straining to catch the scent of the Miko from her club practice yesterday. He had almost jumped in surprise when her scent had hit him strong and unbridled as she entered the archery clubroom with another female.

He had closed his eyes and laid back on the floor, letting her voice and scent wash over him. He didn't know how much time had passed, his lids were heavy and he had barely heard the soft noise of someone knocking at his own club room door.

He rose slowly and made his way to the portal, his steps quickened as the scent of the person on the other side reached him.

There stood Kagome and his mind had gone completely blank. Each of her first questions washed over him in a wave of relief at her sweet tone so close to his ears. He hadn't stopped his answers from flying freely, giving her anything she wished to know if only she would stay in his sights for a few moments longer.

When they moved to his sacred yard, he realized she was there to find his reasoning for his actions that Friday night that seemed so long ago, and he told her honestly, that he had been too weak to control himself.

The words stung his mouth as they left him but she deserved nothing but the truth, and he knew that if he had any chance of rectifying what he had done that he needed her to understand the depth of his claims.

He apologized repeatedly, trying to earn her forgiveness and trying to sate his beasts' desire to hold her close and assure her she would be safe with him. The miko was Human and may not understand his actions for what they were.

His beast continued to struggle, it didn't understand why he wouldn't touch her and he cursed his minds' tiredness as he felt his youki rising to the surface of his skin.

"… I give you my permission." Kagomes words reached him in soft acceptance and he hesitated to move from his position, still not quite believing she would welcome his advances.

"Inuyoukai communicate through touch." He spoke and closed his eyes realizing his words were slurring around his fangs, but he couldn't stop the minor changes if he wished to retain control of his entire form.

He inhaled sharply and his eyes flew wide open when a cool palm pressed against his cheek. Blue depths meeting him with acceptance swirling in their depths. He let out his breath and turned his cheek into her palm, nuzzling her fingers affectionately.

"Like this?" Her voice was so close and he realized she had scooted closer and he shivered as he felt the slide of her skin against the top of his hand as she gently pried his hand away from the abused floor.

His beast keened low in his mind in primal pleasure at the feeling of her touch, it was so close to the surface of his mind and skin that it shivered in his mental cage as if it could literally feel the young Mikos skin.

He moved slowly as he released the floor with his free hand and wrapped it around her form to press a palm against her back. "Let me… hold you." his words came out a statement but his rough tone was a desperate plea.

Kagome smiled at him again and moved closer, letting go of the hand she held in her grip she turned and pressed her back against his front and he pulled her against his chest firmly. He moved back and rested against the wall of the outer club room wall her body nestled between his legs and he wrapped his other arm around her waist to join the first.

His senses were on fire as he drank in her scent, the warmth of her body nestled against him was accompanied by the feeling of her soft curves under his arms. His beast crooned in a primal apology and at the satisfaction of contact with a pack member and he couldn't stop the sound from bubbling up and out of his own lips. A gentle rumble coming from his chest after the sound and he whimpered slightly as he buried his nose into the top of Kagome's head, inhaling her scent deeply.

He calmed slightly when a cool hand covered his own that rested on Kagome's waist. "You sound like you're in pain." The words reached his ears and he remembered again that the woman in his arms did not fully understand his actions.

"It is an apology." He loosened his hold on her slightly and bent forward to press his cheek against the warmth of her neck as he spoke, his breath fanning out against her shoulder. "Holding you like this… is meant to bring comfort." He waited a moment for Kagome to respond, when she didn't move and only hummed in understanding he moved further to press his cheek against hers.

"Do you dislike it?" He asked, needing to know that he wasn't the only one deriving satisfaction and pleasure from their actions.

Kagome shifted slightly and he realized she was keeping her hips away from his groin. "N…no, I don't dislike it." Her speech was stuttering and he realized she thought his pleasure was carnal. If he wasn't holding her in apology, he probably would have felt a great deal of lust but at the moment his pleasure was purely in satisfaction of her acceptance and in gratitude.

He pulled the Miko up and into his lap, wrapping his legs around her own and pulling her further against his chest as he rested his chin on her shoulder and closed his eyes. "You have nothing to fear." He spoke as his beast finally started to calm down and let him regain most of his control.

He felt Kagome turn to look at him, her breath washing against his cheek. "I'm sorry, I just thought…" Her words trailed off and Sesshomaru understood what she had tried to say.

"Your thoughts are not entirely incorrect." He replied as he shifted so he could open one golden eye to look at her as he spoke. "I am attracted to you, but this is truly an apology." He closed his eye and let the soothing rumble from before vibrate through his chest. After a few moments he felt Kagome relax against him and he smiled slightly as she unknowingly accepted his apology.

After a few minutes of peaceful silence, Kagome moved slightly in his embrace, turning to face him with her upper body. "May I ask you another question?" Her blue depths seemed calm and open as she looked at him.

"Anything." He replied easily, the ache of his elongated fangs finally gone making his speech smoother.

"Could you teach me how to use my reiki?" Her eyes were hopeful and he was slightly taken back by the question. "I don't really have anyone in my club who would be willing or able to teach me… I thought you might at least be able to teach me more than my useless class professor." She explained quickly and he understood what she desired but was unsure how to accomplish it.

"I am not entirely familiar with reiki." He admitted after a moment of thought. He looked to the floor in front of them as he considered her request earnestly and a thought occurred to him. Reiki and Youki opposed one another so perhaps he could help her at least learn how to draw on the power.

He released her waist with one hand and drew it in front of them when Kagome turned to look at his hand, he drew a small amount of his youki into his palm, creating a slivery green glow, before he spoke next to her ear. "Place your hand in mine, I have an idea that may help." She did as he asked and he shivered slightly as her cool palm contrasted the rest of her warm body as it slid into his grasp.

"Can you feel my youki?" He asked as he purposefully swirled the energy against her hand in his grasp.

Kagome gasped and her eyes widened slightly as she nodded and her fingers wiggled slightly. "Good, your energy should want to answer it. Do you feel anything in the center of your chest?" he asked, guessing that the feeling may be similar to how his own youki felt when he pulled the energy forward.

At the Mikos nod, he smiled slightly and continued. "Close your eyes and focus on that. Try to bring it forward with your mind until you can feel it in your hand." He instructed her carefully, strengthening the youki in his palm to help her draw on her purifying energy. She followed his instructions and when her hand began to glow and his skin tingled in the beginnings of a burn, he spread his youki to cover his hand and forearm as he braced for what he expected was coming.

Just as he suspected a small blast of purifying energy burst forth from Kagomes palm and around his protected hand before it died quickly after.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry!" She released his hand only to grab his wrist with both hands so she could inspect his palm.

Sesshomaru chuckled slightly and wiggled his fingers as he spoke from behind her. "I am fine, more importantly, that was an excellent response." He praised her and smiled when her relieved gaze turned to meet his.

"I thought… I'd blasted your hand off." She admitted sheepishly.

He smiled slightly at her words; she hadn't wanted to hurt him. His gaze shifted to her hands holding his and his sight caught the time on her watch and he sighed heavily. "It is getting late." He commented, the woman in his arms turning to check the time for herself.

"It's 9:35… we're locked in again." She laughed in earnest and began to rise from his lap. She brushed off her clothes and He rose to stand next to her. "I'm sorry to have taken up so much of your time." She said politely and he found he disliked the formal tone.

"I enjoyed your company immensely." He told her honestly and was satisfied when she blushed and turned to go inside the club room. He gathered his things slowly while Kagome returned to her own club room to pick up her own things and he was pleased when she returned quickly.

They walked back out to the yard and he scooped her into his arms bridal style before he nimbly jumped over the short fence of his own club room yard and landed on the sidewalk on the other side.

He let Kagome slide from his grasp and touch her feet to the ground. She looked up to him and her grip remained firmly wrapped in his haori. "What does this make us Sesshomaru?" Her quiet question did not surprise him and he wouldn't dare give her anything but the pure honesty he had been answering her with so far, but his mind was jumbled by his tiredness.

"My beast… already considers you a part of our pack…" He paused at her confused look. "It feels my… desires… and instincts more… strongly than I do." He fumbled slightly to explain in a way that she would understand.

"How about… we go on a date this Saturday?" Kagome's words caressed his ears and he almost pulled her back into his arms at her understanding.

"Yes. Dating." He breathed out a sigh of relief remembering the tradition that most humans and demons his age participated in regularly. "I would like that very much." He responded.

Kagome smiled up at him brightly and he was stunned when she rose up to his face and quickly pressed her lips against his cheek before she pulled away from him, releasing his clothes. "I'll see you soon then." Her words danced around him as she turned to walk down the path leading to her dorms, she stopped when she was almost out of sight and turned back to look at him, waving as she rounded the corner.

He stood stunned for a few moments longer before he slowly turned to make his way to the parking lot. He was raw with emotion and overcome with tiredness, tonight he would sleep, of that he was sure.

*** Here's Chapter 3! Starting to get into the romance finally. Thank you for all the reviews from the last Chapter, it really helped me get in the mindset for the rest of this story. Leave me a comment and look forward to the next update! All reviews are appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Gratitude

Sesshomaru paced in front of the athletics building. He had dressed casually in black sneakers and fitted jeans, a dark maroon polo shirt covering his chest, and he had left his hair loose to flow around his form.

He had spoken with Kagome Friday after her club practice and set a time for their outing and told her to wear comfortable clothes, but had kept his plans secret despite her prying questions at the time. His senses were sharp as he fanned out his youki, looking for any trace of her approaching.

He took another step and turned, his constant motion his only outward reflection of his nervousness. He had planned an entire afternoon with Kagome and he was truly excited at the prospect of spending so much time with her.

When his youki came in contact with a twirl of reiki that he would forever recognize, he stopped his pacing and waited for her to enter his view. His breath hitched in his throat as her form rounded the corner from the direction of her dorms.

She wore a simple ankle-length solid light blue dress, the material flowed around her lower half, tapering in at her waist with a silver ribbon that was tied in a small bow at her back, she wore a small white cotton overcoat that was woven in a loose stitch pattern. A small bag hung from a long strap over one shoulder and when his eyes drew upwards along the strap as she neared, he noticed her hair hung in loose waves around her neck and face, the thick locks swaying as she walked.

Deep pools of blue met him as she finally made it to their meeting point and he smiled slightly as he stepped forward and reached for her hand. "I'm glad you came." He said as he gently took her hand in his and squeezed lightly, the warmth of her touch cooling his anxious blood.

Kagome returned his grip and his heartbeat slightly faster as she smiled and spoke. "I'm excited to see what you have planned." Her tone was light and her eyes danced with unhidden joy.

"Are you hungry?" He asked her after a pause.

Kagome nodded slightly. "I could eat. What do you have in mind?" She questioned.

He started to walk forwards, keeping ahold of her hand so they walked side by side down the university path. "There is somewhere I frequent nearby." He said, purposefully keeping the details vague.

Kagome looked over to him as they reached the parking lot. "We're driving there?" She asked and he felt her tense slightly from their connection.

"If that is acceptable to you." He responded to her question. Stopping at the edge of the sidewalk while he waited for her to make a decision. For a moment her eyes flashed with uncertainty and looked to the ground and she drew her lower lip between her teeth. The expression was adorable, but he hated what it represented, she didn't fully trust him or their current situation. He tried to wait patiently for her answer but couldn't help holding his breath.

Her eyes finally met his once more and she smiled slightly. "Ok, I trust you." She replied quietly.

When they stepped forward again, he made a mental promise that he would earn her trust at whatever the cost, but for now he would be grateful for every ounce of it she was willing to give him.

He led her to his sedan quickly and opened the door for her to get inside. He stepped around the vehicle to the driver's side and slipped inside, starting the machine quickly.

As they settled into their seats and strapped their safety belts in Sesshomaru pulled up his navigation system and selected their destination from his saved addresses tab. "You must really like this place… Bokusenous Café… it sounds nice." Kagome spoke from next to him and he noticed the slight nervousness still in her tone.

He nodded smiling slightly and pulled the car out of the parking space. The drive there was quiet and Sesshomaru felt no need to fill the comfortable silence. After the first few minutes, Kagome relaxed and started to follow the navigation screen. As they got within just a few minutes of their destination she looked around through the windows, taking in the apartment buildings and parks.

"We are in a residential area." Her soft words were caught easily by his ears and he hummed in agreement. "Yes, I live nearby. This café was one of my first discoveries after moving in." He explained and Kagome turned and smiled at him. "I didn't know you lived off-campus." Kagome stated, she seemed happy to have learned that bit of information.

His beast curled in his mind, it was restless to feel her touch once more, and he was relieved when he finally pulled off the road into a parking spot in front of a small restaurant on the corner of an intersection. Behind the restaurant was a fairly large park, a small play area for young children could be seen in a far corner and the rest of the park was densely wooded with trees of varying color a walking path weaving through them.

Once the car was turned off, he swiftly got out and went to Kagome's side, opening the door for her as she gathered herself and rose from the vehicle. He was slightly surprised when Kagome seemed to expect when he reached for her hand, curling her dainty fingers within his own. He relaxed again and his beast settled as her touch calmed them.

"It was difficult to deal with my… popularity during my first year. I needed privacy." He spoke simply as they began walking towards the café, once again holding hands. She nodded in understanding and didn't comment more on the subject.

Kagome was openly looking around in curiosity, he was used to the entrance of the cafe but knew it was a sight to behold. The front of the building was built into two large trees, one on either side of the building as if they had grown through the structure. They stepped up the few stairs and he held the door open for Kagome as they walked inside.

The interior of the building was made from rustic wood, each table a large stump and the chairs surrounding them resembled lush bushes but were made from some sort of plush fabric. The back wall held a counter lined with display desserts, pastries, and drinks. All of the windows in the restaurant were open to allow for the smell of the nearby park to fill the air and mix with the smell of cooking dough and coffee.

"Wow, it's lovely in here." Kagome said with amazement clear in her tone.

Sesshomaru's chest rumbled slightly in contentment, he was truly pleased that she liked his choice of restaurant. "I am glad you approve." He pulled her in the direction of an open table, the restaurant wasn't packed but there were several families and couples sitting throughout the dining area.

His favorite area was free as usual though, a quaint two-seat table along the wall and directly under one of the large open windows that faced the park. The two chairs were next to each other and faced the window a latticework of twirling vines hiding most of the small area, allowing for maximum privacy. They sat in their seats and Sesshomaru held back his chuckle as the tabletop changed and molded into the form of a menu in front of them, neat letters etched in the living wood.

"The entire restaurant is part of the owner, an old tree demon." He explained as Kagome gently touched the wood that had stopped moving. "That's incredible." She responded before placing her hands on either side of the menu as she began to study it in earnest.

Sesshomaru didn't need to look at the menu, he would order what he always got, he took the time to observe Kagome instead. So far, their date was going well, he had honestly never been on one before. Until he met Kagome, he had never had an interest in women, not even in a lustful sense so he was trying his best to create an authentic date.

Kagome seemed to be enjoying herself, stroking the wood as she read the lines of each item and for a moment, he wished to hold her hand again. He looked to her face instead, taking in the lines of concentration that creased her brow and the way her lips moved as she read silently.

A squeal of joy left her lips as she came across a certain item and her eyes flew upwards to meet his golden gaze. "I know what I want." She said in an excited tone and looked around for a moment. "How do we order?" He could tell she was practically giddy with excitement and he smiled softly.

"Simply say what you want." He told her and she blushed slightly before settling in her seat and facing the table with semi-formality. "I'd like a… rainbow hot chocolate… with extra marshmallows… and an apple crepe please." She spoke quietly and quickly and had he not known Bokusenous's accuracy he may have been concerned about her order being heard or not.

"I'll have a cinnamon tart and a large mug of the house blend, black." He spoke to the air in front of him and a new wave of feelings rushed over him as Kagome smiled at him from across the table and again, he felt the desire to touch her.

He had never been so keenly drawn by his inuyoukai desires but with Kagome, they seemed to intensify tenfold. His simple need for contact felt like a fatal thirst, and he moved in his seat until he could feel the warmth radiating from her body, just barely not touching her.

The silence between them grew slightly tense and Kagome finally spoke. "So, tell me Sesshomaru, why are you so drawn to me?" The question stunned him and he took a moment to consider the most honest reply. Her eyes never leaving his as she waited patiently for his reply.

"I have been consumed by thoughts of you since our first meeting. It would be a mistake not to pursue those feelings." He said finally, hoping that his words would satisfy her.

Blue depths kept his captured and she continued to speak, her tone soft but strong. "I need to know now Sesshomaru, does my being human concern you? And what of your social image? I have been fooled too many times to fully trust that someone like yourself is truly interested in me, and I am not interested in anything temporary." She never looked away, but her tone trailed in something like self-loathing and his ears burned at the sound.

He had never considered her being human an issue, only he was fit to choose the female he was to be with and no other. And the issue of a social image was non-existent, he cared not what onlookers thought of him and he was on a track in life to become a powerful enough man that nobody would question his choice in mate. Even now he was confident that nobody would dare to challenge his claim of her.

He shook his head as he spoke. "My intentions are honest and I have no concern for any perceived social standing." He cleared his throat fumbling slightly for the right words. "I… find you very attractive if that is your concern." He could immediately see the heat filling Kagomes face as red blossomed across her cheeks.

She fiddled with her fingers on the table and looked down at her hands. "Thank you, I wanted to be clear from the beginning." She still seemed nervous and he could no longer contain the desire to touch her and laid his hand atop her fidgeting ones.

"That is perfectly acceptable, you may ask or say whatever you like." He reassured her; he was beginning to become accustomed to her shyness but wished she was able to be freer with him.

He smiled as their food arrived and Kagome cooed in awe of the young sapling that carried a small tray filled with their order of food and drinks. It carefully placed each item in front of them after the menu dissolved back into a flat tabletop and they moved their hands. The extension of Bokusenou turned and walked away after fulfilling its duty.

"That was adorable." Kagome breathed as she watched their server return to the kitchen.

Sesshomaru didn't bother to contain his chuckle as he took a sip from his hot drink, the rich flavor coating his tongue. "It is quite admirable that he is able to multitask so efficiently." Kagome gave him a confused look before she shook her head and took a bite of her apple-filled lunch.

* * *

Kagome finished the last of her drink as she looked out the window. Lunch had been wonderful, although she had been nervous to go off campus with Sesshomaru she was rewarded handsomely for giving him her trust. The café was lovely and they had spent the last two hours talking about their families, degree pursuits, and career choices.

She hadn't been surprised to learn that Sesshomaru would be taking over a portion of his fathers' enterprises after getting a Masters in business, he was three years into the six-year degree. On the other hand, she wanted to be a nurse, and she had just begun her first year. She had also learned a variety of other small facts but the most intriguing information had been about his family, his mother had passed away several years before Inuyasha was born and his relationship with his stepmother and half-brother were strained. Kagome thought of her own family and her heartbeat strongly with the love she felt for them, but she was in no position to butt into his personal affairs.

"That was a wonderful lunch Sesshomaru." She smiled and thanked him. Thinking that they would return to the campus now.

He rose from his chair and set the payment for their meal on the table before he turned and offered his hand to her. "Our outing is not over yet; would you like to accompany me on a walk?" He questioned her.

She looked up to meet his eyes and the swirling emotions she saw in his golden depths had her smiling again and reaching for his hand. "Of course. Where are we going?" She asked as she slid her hand into his and rose from the table.

"Not far." Sesshomaru replied with a slight smile as he led them out of the restaurant and around the building to one of the entrances to the park behind it.

When they stepped inside Kagome shivered as she felt a wave of something wash over her. She looked to Sesshomaru and noticed he was watching her carefully. "The forest is also part of Bokusenou, can you feel his youki?" She relaxed slightly as Sesshomaru explained what she was feeling.

Ever since he had helped her draw on her reiki it had been close to the surface of her skin, reacting to things that she couldn't quite understand. She nodded to Sesshomarus question. "I can, it's… strange." She said, not knowing how to accurately describe the feeling.

"That's good, your reiki is becoming more responsive." Sesshomaru smiled gently at her and began to walk forward again, leading them down a quiet path that bordered a small trickling stream.

She realized then that even during their date he was trying to help her practice her new skill. She felt warmth bloom in her chest and she was truly grateful for his consideration. She concentrated on the warm feeling of swirling energy around her as they walked. She after an hour of walking that they had wandered into a deeply wooded portion of the park. She spotted a bench nestled along the path and pointed to it as she spoke.

"Do you think we could rest for a moment?" She asked, hoping Sesshomaru wouldn't mind.

He changed his direction and moved towards the bench. "Of course." He replied simply and Kagome squeezed her hand in his. She had noticed that he seemed to always want to hold her hand. Perhaps it was an inuyoukai trait, she remembered him saying that inuyoukai communicate through touch and an idea came to her.

Once they were settled on the bench together, she turned to Sesshomaru, her hand still intertwined with his. "Sesshomaru?" She started, becoming slightly nervous.

He faced her and arched an eyebrow in question. "I… want to show you my gratitude." She continued and she noticed that Sesshomaru's face creased with confusion.

"Your enjoyment of today is all that I wish for." He replied and Kagome shook her head.

"Ah… that's not what I meant." She looked away for a moment, chewing on her lip as she tried to work up the courage to ask for what she wanted. "Last time we were… together… you apologized." She felt her cheeks heat and she forced herself to meet his golden gaze. "I want to show you my gratitude in a similar way." Sesshomaru sat completely still for a moment as he considered her words, she could see the thoughts swirling in his mind from the way his eyes glazed over.

"You wish to know how Inuyoukai give thanks." He said finally pinning her with his golden gaze when she nodded enthusiastically his hand squeezed hers slightly and he smiled gently. He reached his free hand to cup the side of her face, sliding his claws into her hair. "We communicate through touch; gratitude is often expressed through grooming." He gently massaged her scalp where his fingers were and she closed her eyes at the pleasant sensation.

When his hand pulled away, combing through her hair she sighed at the loss of the feeling and opened her eyes once more, only to be met with Sesshomarus smoldering gaze.

"May I?" She reached her free hand out and she was surprised when Sesshomaru released her hand and turned slightly away from her.

"You may touch me however you like Kagome." Sesshomaru said over his shoulder and she could feel her blush intensify.

She steeled her nerves and reached out to touch his long hair, she had asked for this, there was no need to be so nervous. Still, though, her hands shook slightly as she threaded her fingers into Sesshomaru's silver locks.

She gently drew her finger through his silver hair and after a few minutes, she relaxed and started truly enjoying the feeling of his silken hair sliding between her fingers. She combed the strands for a few more moments before moving further up, sliding her fingertips against Sesshomaru's scalp in what she hoped was a pleasant massage.

Kagome felt a slight vibration in her fingers before she heard a low rumbling sound coming from Sesshomaru. Peaking over his shoulder she could see that his eyes were closed and he was breathing deeply. Her fingers moved from the crown of his head down to the base of his skull. The sound grew slightly louder and Kagome smiled, he was enjoying this.

Emboldened by his wordless encouragement she continued to massage his skin, moving from his head to his neck, rolling the stiff muscles she found there gently under her fingers.

"You… are very skilled at this." Sesshomaru said in a rasping tone and a new flare of heat came forth in Kagome's chest. Her heartbeat quickened with excitement as she moved her hands lower, spreading them across Sesshomaru's broad shoulders and kneading the muscle there firmly.

The demon in front of her released a small moan and she slowed her motions; she didn't know where to go from here and slowly her shyness pushed to the surface of her mind. She gave a final small squeeze and pulled her hands away, smiling as Sesshomaru turned and sat normally in his seat again, she noticed the small sigh he released and the way his face was relaxed as he opened his eyes and blinked at her slowly.

They sat in silence for a few moments before Kagome spoke. "This place is really beautiful." She could still feel the warm tendrils of youki curling against her skin, at first, it had seemed strange but she was becoming accustomed to the feeling.

Sesshomaru nodded in agreement. "Bokusenou is a very old demon, his adaptation to modern life has not decreased his abilities." He explained.

Kagome hummed in understanding and she realized something strange at that moment. "Why can I feel Bokusenous youki but not yours?" She looked at Sesshomaru curiously as she reached out and took his hand, confirming her realization when she felt no trace of power against his skin.

Sesshomaru squeezed her hand gently. "I have been keeping my aura concealed. I did not want to trigger your reiki accidentally." He said softly.

Kagome thought over that for a moment. She didn't like it; it was like he was hiding something from her. "Release it." She commanded him before she realized what she had said. "Ah… I mean, please? If I can, I want to know what it feels like." She explained quickly.

Sesshomaru simply raised an eyebrow before nodding slightly. Instantly Kagome felt a rush of heat against her palm, the invisible flame curling around her side where she sat next to Sesshomaru.

She shivered slightly and closed her eyes trying to decipher the feeling with the fledgling control of her reiki. She felt the flame retract and her eyes met concerned gold. "Are you alright?" Sesshomaru was holding her hand firmly and she could hear the worry in his voice.

"I'm ok." She placed her other hand on his knee. "Don't pull it back in, I was trying to concentrate." Kagome explained gently and she smiled as the heat of Sesshomarus youki rose against her skin again.

She relaxed and felt her own power dancing in a soothing reminder in a ball in her chest. Both energies were warm and calm, neither reacting to the other. "Your youki is warm… almost like a steaming bath." She commented softly and her blush returned suddenly at the mental image of them in a steaming bath together instead of in the forest. She looked away and the hand on Sesshomarus knee drew back into her lap.

Sesshomaru nodded and smiled, and she couldn't help but notice the twitch of his nose before he slowly stood, helping her to her feet as well. "We should begin our return before it gets too late." Her eyes flew to her watch and she couldn't believe it was almost 6 pm. She looked back to Sesshomaru and nodded. "You're right, lead the way." She splayed her hand in front of them and laughed happily. She was still having a wonderful time.

They wove through the tree-lined path and over a small bridge before they exited the forest near the children's playground. There were several families and moms with their children still playing in the area as they walked by, Kagome smiled at the happy picture they all made. "This really is a nice place Sesshomaru. Thank you for bringing me here today." She smiled and spoke as they walked onto the sidewalk that wrapped around the park and led back to the restaurant's parking lot.

As they reached the car she smiled as Sesshomaru opened the door and made sure she was settled before moving to his own side and getting in. She enjoyed the ride home in peaceful silence and wondered slightly which of the towering residential buildings Sesshomaru lived in.

The ride home seemed much faster than the ride to the restaurant and Kagome was slightly disappointed as they pulled into the drop off circle that was in front of her dorm building. She turned to Sesshomaru and was about to thank him again when his hand reached for hers and gripped it firmly.

"May I kiss you?" Sesshomarus' words were clear but soft and Kagome could see the mass of swirling emotion behind his golden gaze and she was drawn in by their allure. She was stunned but managed to nod in acceptance and breathed slowly as he leaned in.

* * *

The moment he had scented her arousal in Bokusenous forest Sesshomaru knew he needed to get her back to her dorms.

His beast had been thoroughly enjoying her stroking, it fed his constant desire to touch her to the point that he'd felt relaxed and sated, and he had been enthralled when she had asked him to release his youki. Being able to feel her with every part of his being was an incredible gift, and then the scent of her arousal had hit him on the still air and his beast had jumped at the opportunity. It clawed at his mental cage to answer the call of their female.

His rational mind knew that was unreasonable, he had vowed to earn her trust slowly and that meant returning her home safely, and immediately before he had the chance to lose control with her once again. The moment that she was actually about to leave became too much to bear though and his body and mouth moved without thought.

"May I kiss you?" He was just as stunned as Kagome appeared and his heart leaped in his chest as he watched her nod in approval.

He tried to move slowly as he leaned over the center console of the car, and gently placed his mouth against hers. Her lips pressed back against his and he began a slow dance, enjoying the feeling of her moist flesh sliding against his own. The scent of jasmine and vanilla grew in intensity around him and he inhaled deeply drinking the scent in.

His other hand laid on Kagome's shoulder for balance as he drew his tongue gently across her bottom lip. Unlike the last time, he had tried that move he was rewarded with entrance into her sweet cavern and he swirled his tongue in a wide arch to take in her taste before he pulled her own appendage into a sensual duel.

A cool hand pressed against his cheek accompanied by a small noise as Kagome broke away from their kiss and gasped for air. "I'm so…" He began to apologize thinking he had offended her once again but stopped when her finger pressed against his mouth.

"Don't apologize for that… it was amazing." Kagome said quietly, but her eyes never left him and he relaxed at the truth he saw in them.

Kagome leaned forward and he closed his eyes in bliss as she pressed her lips against his once more in a gentle caress before she pulled away more slowly this time. "I'll see you Monday, won't I?" She asked.

He nodded slowly, still under the spell of her luscious scent. "I always stay after practice." He finally spoke.

Kagome nodded. "I'll see you then." She promised and finally opened the car door and swiftly rose. She stepped onto the sidewalk and closed the door gently, waving before she turned and walked towards her building.

Sesshomaru waited for her to be safely inside before he put his car into drive. His beast seemed satisfied at the moment but he knew that his thoughts would be filled with her until their next meeting.

*** Thanks for reading once again. I have some nice plans for the next update so stay tuned. Leave me a review, please! I love to hear what everyone has to say!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – Control

Sesshomaru sat patiently in the kendo clubs assigned locker room, waiting for his team members to finish preparing for the tournament. It had been several weeks since his first date with Kagome and they had been on several more.

His chest filled with pleasurable warmth as he thought of his female, she had gradually become more open and less shy around him, her touches and requests becoming more confident. In the last two weeks, she had even taken to joining him for his personal practice on her clubs off days. She would sit and meditate, practicing the control of her reiki while he worked through his routine.

They would sit together afterward and talk, about everything and nothing at all, he had realized early on that she simply wanted to be near him. Those moments had become more and more intimate as the weeks went by. This left his beast in a constant state of alertness and arousal, the feeling had been unwanted at first, but it was the manifestation of his own desire and he had accepted it as normal.

However, this was his first experience with such things and though he was loathed to admit his inadequacy at anything, he was unsure how to move their relationship past the stage of gentle kissing and shy touches to something more, something he desperately craved.

Shaking his head lightly to clear his thoughts he focused back on the current task at hand, his kendo club was in the locker room of their first tournament. He had been following Kagome's tournament schedule as well and was pleased to find that hers was later today. If all of his members performed well, he would be free in time to catch the last of her first solo placement matches.

Sesshomaru surveyed the team members around him, some were nervous, but he noticed Inuyasha was oddly quiet, the obnoxious Hanyou rarely got worried over anything let alone nervous so his demeanor was unsettling. He decided to keep an eye on him today, his change of behavior was a cause for concern.

The team filed out of the locker room, and Sesshomaru exited behind them. As they stepped into the large auditorium, the chattering of contestants and officials ringing in the air, he steeled himself for the battles to come. He was determined to end them quickly, there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he absolutely had to see Kagome's solo event today, and he was determined to follow that instinct.

"Gather round." He called to the men who would be his comrades today. "Today will be no different from our previous tournaments. We will be victorious." He stated the obvious in a declaration. And all of his team members nodded in turn, except for Inuyasha who seemed to be preoccupied with something.

He followed the Hanyou's line of sight into the spectators stands and saw Kikyo standing still amongst the moving crowd. She should be preparing for her own tournament today; her presence here made no sense to him. He ignored the foul woman and turned back to his team members, snapping in the Hanyou's direction. "You need to focus Inuyasha, do not let your lust distract you." He told him firmly, finally getting a normal reaction from his half-brother.

"Keh! Worry abou' yourself Sesshomaru!" The now irritated Hanyou replied before he walked off in the direction of a bench with their school name on it.

"The first round begins in twenty minutes. Make sure all of you are ready before then." He spoke calmly to the rest of the team. He looked back to the spectator stands, but Kikyo was nowhere to be found. He shrugged his shoulder but the nagging feeling that something was wrong just wouldn't leave him. He kept his senses open as he turned and followed his team members to their waiting area.

* * *

Kikyo paced in the Kendo tournaments hallway. Since the beginning of the new year, she had been plagued by a thorn in her side, Kagome. The girl was much too innocent and naive, then she even had the gal to start dating Sesshomaru.

The older brother of Inuyasha had been her target originally, she only settled for the younger brother when Sesshomaru had seemed clearly uninterested in any woman. She had tried for an entire year to get his attention, and it had only taken Kagome several weeks before they were already dating.

She knew what it would mean for herself if she could marry a Taisho, Inuyasha, and Sesshomaru would be set for life if they followed in their father's footsteps. The only problem was that it was becoming clear Inuyasha was the less capable of the two siblings, she should have held out for Sesshomaru, clearly, he would have chosen her eventually if he was interested in Kagome now, she was basically a plump clone of Kikyo herself, with worse control of her reiki.

The girl didn't even realize what she had in Sesshomaru, and it was just as well, she didn't deserve him.

She bit into her cheek as she remembered seeing the way Sesshomaru looked at the wretched girl every time they passed in the athletics building hallway, that look was meant to be hers, and she had a plan to make it so. Sesshomaru would lose his interest if the girl was no longer around, and she was only able to attend Shikon University due to her scholarship, it was clear the girl had a poor background.

If she could prevent her from showing any results at this tournament it would send her packing back to her filthy home. She had noticed the girls' budding control of her reiki knew just how to foil any plan the girl had of doing well. All she had to do was get Inuyasha into their stadium before Kagome finished her solo competition.

She had given him an 'early two-year anniversary' present last week, a necklace of rosary beads. She had told him she wanted to see him wearing it at her first competition, for good luck. In reality, she had enchanted the beads herself so that Inuyasha would lose control of his youki. It wouldn't look suspicious since Inuyasha was Hanyou, and they were notorious for often losing control of their demon side. The overwhelming youki should cause Kagome's reiki to go out of control and disqualify her from the competition. If the girl caused a big enough scene, she may even be banned from all archery competitions in the future.

The best part was that once Kagome was out of the picture, she could dump Inuyasha and show Sesshomaru just what he was missing out on. Surely, he would be after her the moment she was single.

She smiled as she glanced at the clock on the wall of the hallway. It was still morning, her teams' bus wouldn't arrive until noon since their competition started in the early afternoon. There was plenty of time for her to walk to the building next door and begin 'preparing' their locker room and waiting area, which had been her excuse for leaving so early.

She walked lightly and happily as she finally left the kendo tournaments hallway, today was going to be a righteous day.

* * *

Kagome nervously checked her travel bags for the hundredth time. She was nervous about her first college tournament. Sango waved to her from their bus and she hurriedly grabbed her thing and joined the girl in the line that was forming in front of the vehicle's doors.

"Did you forget anything?" The brown-haired girl asked her and Kagome smiled sheepishly.

"I don't think so…" She replied before dropping the bag in her right hand and yanking the zipper open to make sure she had her uniform. "Ah... no, I've got it! Thank god!" She looked up and met Sango's bemused eyes with her own.

"You've got to relax Kagome." Sango told her in a soothing tone as she helped her to her feet. "You're going to do fine!" She added as the line of girls began to move forward and the bus revved to life.

They handed their bags to the drivers' attendant who loaded them in the storage cargo that opened on the outside of the bus before going up the few steps and into the high-class transportation that they would be trapped in for the next hour.

Sango gently pushed her to a row of seats at the very back of the bus and Kagome settled against the window and smiled as her friend slid into the seat next to her. They were quiet as the rest of the archery club loaded into the bus and it finally pulled out of the parking lot.

As the hum of female chatter rose around them Sango turned to Kagome once more. "You really should relax some." The brown-haired girl's smile widened. "You hit all five targets during the moving practice every time for the last week now!" Kagome winced slightly as Sango clapped her roughly on the shoulder. "All that _private training_ with Sesshomaru is really paying off." Sango accentuated the words with a seductive drawl and Kagome huffed in slight annoyance at her friends' attitude.

"I really do practice with him! I meditate… and he helps me guide my reiki… and…" Sango was practically sitting on the edge of her seat waiting for Kagomes next words and she felt a blush spread across her cheeks. "… and the rest is none of your business." She finished and turned away as the redness on her cheeks bloomed a shade brighter.

They chatted lightly for the rest of the ride about this particular tournament. She learned that Sango had attended it last year in September as a Freshman in college just like she was now. It was common for freshmen to enter the solo competitions so she felt slightly less nervous about being the only young student there.

By the time that they reached the tournament halls' parking lot most of her nervousness had gone away, Kagome smiled at Sango. "Thank you, I do feel a little better."

Sango returned her smile and gave her a thumbs up. "You're gunna do great!" Her friend replied.

The chatter in the bus slowly died as the vehicle parked and everyone stood and began filing out, collecting their things as they gathered in the parking lot. Once everyone had disembarked Kaede drew their attention, she was the club's vice president although the brunette hardly ever spoke a word.

"Get your things together and head inside, the second floor is where our locker room is." The older girl spoke and everyone obeyed her command without hesitation.

Kagome fell in line next to Sango as the group made their way inside and into an elevator. As the elevator they were crammed into let the group out onto the second floor Kagome was finally able to see the wide archery area that was in the middle of the building.

The center area looked as if it was normally two large soccer fields, but it had been transformed for the archery tournament. On one half there were long rows set with individual targets at the end. Next to those rows, there was another set of rows with small versions of their moving target practice machine at the end of them. Past the rows was a large stage with a set of standing targets at varying distances as well as a very large moving target machine in the back of the range area.

All at once the pressure of her situation settled on Kagome's shoulders and her nervousness came back, she had to do well today to keep her scholarship. She swallowed down her nerves and pulled her determination from within her soul. Her scholarship meant more to her now than ever before, without it she would have to move back home, and away from Sesshomaru.

As she entered the locker room and began changing Kagome let her mind wander on the pleasant thoughts of her boyfriend. She hadn't actually asked Sesshomaru what they were yet but she considered him her boyfriend, they had been on several dates and he had made it very clear that he was only interested in her.

Kagome found herself drawn to him as well, he was gentle and kind, despite his stoic public front he was expressive when they were alone, and he had been a true companion and teacher in her search for control over her reiki. It was because of him that she had been able to learn how to coat her arrows in her pure power, using that power to guide them was still difficult but now if she even scraped one of the moving target discs with her power-infused arrow it would burst, making it that much easier to destroy them quickly.

She took several deep breaths as she finished tying her clothes into place. It was time to prove her worth to the University that was offering her a full education free of charge, she felt the very real responsibility of upholding her end of that gracious deal.

Grabbing her bow and empty quiver, Kagome waited for Sango at the locker room door. Her friend joined her quickly and they left the changing area and headed to their teams warm up bench down on the first floor. From there they could see most of the fixed targets and she noticed Kikyo was had joined the other club members at some point.

Kagome shrugged her shoulders, the captain probably came early to square away things before the tournament, nobody had been surprised when she wasn't at the university this morning and Kaede had quietly informed them she would meet the team here so it didn't seem unusual.

They turned towards the pre-filled barrels of arrows that lined their waiting bench and filled their quivers. "We've got time to warm up slowly." Sango said and Kagome nodded without speaking.

Kikyo's voice rang out and the two turned along with the rest of their club members to face their captain. "Solo events are up first, team events start at 3 pm. Make sure you check your number so you don't miss your turn." Kagome shivered as she felt the cold captains' eyes settle on her from afar. "Make sure you don't embarrass yourselves either." She added and Kagome lifted her face slightly at the subtle dig. She wasn't the same as when she first joined the club, she was confident she would at least do decently today.

Kikyo ended her speech with a wave of her hand and the club members slowly returned to what they had been doing. Sango clapped her lightly on the shoulder and Kagome turned as her friend spoke. "Don't worry about her, you're gunna do great."

Kagome smiled, she wasn't nearly as nervous anymore, she felt even more determination to do well now and she would prove Kikyos' assumptions were wrong. "You're right Sango, I'm going to do great!" They shouldered their full quivers and headed towards the practice range that was next to their waiting bench.

After half an hour of warming up, Sango waved to her to stop. "They've posted the line-up for the events. Let's go look!" Her friend called to her and Kagome nodded her head and set her equipment down on their clubs' warm-up bench

"So, the solo events are first?" Kagome asked as they walked into the tournament's hall.

"They start first since they take so long, the team event usually starts about halfway through the solo events." They reached the board in the hallway that was neatly lined with sheets of paper containing event information.

The crowd around the board prevented them from getting close enough to be able to read anything and they waited patiently for the crowd to clear. "I hope we're early in the solo events, they can drag on depending on how many new freshman entries there are from each college." The brown-haired girl finished as they were finally able to reach the front of the crowd and read the board.

Kagomes eyes scanned the board for her name and finally came across it, she was number 47 out of 106. She noticed that all of the other Shikon University students were in front of her, so she would be the last one to go from her school.

"Forty-three and forty-seven, not bad!" Sango exclaimed happily as she called out their numbers.

Kagome nodded her head. "Let's get back to the bench, I want to watch the contestants before us." She said, and the two of them turned and walked back down the hallway to the event field.

They made it back to the warm-up bench with a few minutes until the tournament would begin and Kagome settled onto the bench to study the contestants who went first, she wanted every advantage she could get.

* * *

Sesshomaru bowed as he accepted the first-place trophy on behalf of Shikon University's' kendo club, their team had won efficiently, even Inuyasha had taken his bouts seriously for once. The ceremony was quick and concise and he noticed that Inuyasha slipped away the moment they were free from the eyes of the spectators.

He followed his team members to the locker room and quickly changed as he checked the time. It was only 2 pm, if he hurried, he should be able to make it next door to watch Kagome's first tournament.

Inuyasha's strange behavior left his mind as thoughts of his female swirled in to replace them, he had resisted fantasizing about her for the last several hours but now his mind was free to wander.

He was anxious for her he realized, not just to be near her but for her tournament today. He wanted her to feel the pride and satisfaction of placing well today. He was confident that she had the ability to do so, he had seen it himself over the last few weeks. He gathered his things and stopped by his teams' bus in the parking lot to make sure his bags were safely stored aboard before he made his way to the tournament hall where Kagome was.

When he entered the building Sesshomaru began scenting the air, searching for Kagome. He continued to look for her as he ascended into the spectator stands. He circled the balcony lined with bleacher seats until he finally picked up her scent moments before his eyes found her beautiful form.

He breathed a sigh of relief; she was still at the waiting bench for her team so her turn had not come yet. He settled into one of the nearby open seats and watched her openly, he would greet her once her turn was over so as not to make her more nervous.

* * *

Kagome watched Sango as she stepped up to the range of still targets. She had been well prepared for the solo events. One set of still targets at varying ranges, the contestants were given two minutes to hit as many of the five targets as possible. Then the contestants moved to the moving target range and were given one chance to hit a set of five targets that were launched at the sound of a bell.

She had watched more than forty contestants go so far so she was familiar with the routine by now. Still, she felt nervous for her friend as the brown-haired girl began her turn.

But her nerves were unfounded and the girl finished her turn quickly and returned to the waiting bench. She had hit all of the still targets dead center and crushed four out of the five moving targets.

"That last one slipped by me!" She laughed to Kagome as she neared her side.

Kagome gave her friend a big hug and laughed excitedly. "You still did great Sango!" They separated and Sango nodded.

"You're gunna do just as well, maybe even better." Sango said seriously, giving her an earnest wide smile.

Kagome grinned. "We'll find out soon enough." They stood anxiously as the next member of their club got in position to take her turn.

The noise from the crowd rose slightly as the team events started to begin. Her clubs' team was second in the team events and she watched as the selected team members got in line to wait for their turn. She was grateful that Kikyo wouldn't be watching during her turn.

As the tournament continued and her turn came closer, Kagome felt the hair on her neck raise in alarm. Her reiki pulsed wildly under her skin and she began to panic slightly as she searched the crowd for any major disturbance.

She found none and tried to breathe deeply as her number was called and she was beckoned forward by an official. Her hands shook slightly as she faced the range and knocked her first arrow waiting for her signal to begin.

Kagomes reiki was fighting to break out and she could feel a swirling oppressive power circling around her. She struggled to concentrate but her buzzer to begin sounded and she let the first arrow fly, she worked through the literal pain as she desperately suppressed her own energy so that she could focus on simply hitting the targets in front of her.

The breath she was holding rushed out of her lips and her body trembled as the last arrow struck its target moments before the buzzer timed again. She moved in slow shaky steps towards the next platform, her vision swirled as she lost her balance and stumbled just before reaching the platform.

Her reiki burst forth in a light pulse around her as her control waivered and murmurs broke out in the crowd around her, barely discernable to her jumbled hearing. She picked herself up just as a loud snarl rang through the stadium, deafening silence following behind it.

Kagome sucked in a cool breath as the energy around her suddenly vanished and her reiki stopped rising in volume. She straightened herself and stepped onto the platform, nodding at the official.

The buzzer rang out and five discs shot into the air, one after the other. She raised her bow and arrow and fired two shots quickly before firing the next two, she focused on the last one and sent her swirling reiki that was still responsive under her skin to the tip of the projectile before letting it loose.

The fifth disc shattered like the four before it and Kagome smiled wide in pride. She turned and quickly left the platform to return to Sango who was looking at her with worried eyes.

"What was that?" Her friend spoke frantically as Kagome practically fell into her open arms, tired from her internal struggle moments earlier.

Kagome looked up at her and shook her head as she spoke. "I have no idea…" She replied.

Sango pointed into the stands to their left. "Something happened up there, I think their students from our school!"

Kagome followed to where she pointed and her blue eyes widened in disbelief. She could clearly make out Sesshomaru's form in the lower level of the stands. His silver hair fanning over his right side stood out against the spray of red that painted the background behind him, somebody was pinned underneath of him hidden from view. Her heart jumped into her throat as the stands cleared of spectators and security personnel filled the space, immediately going for Sesshomaru, the sound of his snarling clear through the police chattering.

"I have to get up there." The words left Kagomes mouth as her legs began to move.

Sango grabbed her arm and she whirled to face her. "Wait, what do you mean?" Sango looked anxious as she questioned her friend.

Kagome put her hand on Sangos that was gripping her arm and gently pried the girl off of her. "I have to go Sango, let me know how the scores come out later." She said much calmer than how she actually felt.

At Sangos uneasy nod she turned and ran for the exit doors that led to the closest staircase upwards.

* * *

Sesshomaru had been so focused on watching Kagome that he noticed immediately the moment her reiki rose. He had risen and fanned out his youki searching for any impending threat, and when he found it his beast had howled in rage.

His bastard half-brother was sitting on the opposite side of the stadium, his youki fanning out around him wildly as the Hanyou partially shifted in an irreversible loss of control.

"Bastard." The word had left his mouth as he jumped with all of his strength, destroying the spot where he had been standing. He zeroed in on his prey as he soared through the air, his eyes bled with red, his beast coming to the surface to hunt their prey together.

A fierce snarl flew from his lips as he neared the Hanyou, wild eyes meeting his own seconds before he crashed into Inuyasha's crazed form. His hand gripped the weaker males throat and acid seeped into his claws as he spoke past the growing fangs in his mouth.

"What is the meaning of this?" He asked in a rage strangled tone.

Inuyasha only snarled and clawed at the arm pinning him to the ground and Sesshomaru growled back. He decided instead to use his own massive youki to wrap up Inuyasha's and attempt to force it back into his struggling body.

It began to work for a moment before the Hanyou's wild youki spilled out once again and his struggles intensified, his claws ripping the flesh from Sesshomarus arm.

Through the wild attacks, Sesshomaru was able to pinpoint the area where the Hanyou's youki was leaking out. A strange rosary with large beads was draped around his neck, the necklace was forcefully drawing the Hanyou's youki out of him.

Sesshomaru raised his left hand and timed his strike perfectly to slash the necklace to pieces. What he didn't expect was the slicing blade of energy that whipped out from the point of contact as the Hanyou's youki was sucked violently back into his body, he barely shifted in time to avoid taking the wave of energy head-on.

The sting in his left shoulder came moments before the spray of blood that showered from his side as his arm fell to the floor, completely severed. His beast rose fully to the surface, blocking the pain and subduing the threat in front of him, his claws on his hand still wrapped around the Hanyou's throat ripped into the flesh underneath them and everything around him dulled. The sounds of people gathering around him fell on deaf ears as he sought to kill his prey.

He snarled as he felt hands encase his form and pull him away from the still form of his prey. He fought to return and finish his kill but the lack of an arm made his efforts less efficient. It wasn't until the soft scent of jasmine filled his senses that some of his rational thought returned and he realized the people holding him were police.

Sesshomaru stopped his struggling and instead focused on finding the source of the jasmine scent. It had to be Kagome. His eyes were still scarlet, his one remaining arm covered in blood as the stump of his shoulder smoldered as his youki worked to stop the bleeding of the massive wound, but when his eyes landed on her frame as she pushed past the line of officers surrounding him his heart swelled with emotion.

Deep blue eyes locked with his and he growled at the people around him as he pushed forward and out of their grasping arms. He reached Kagome in several long strides and pulled her against his chest, not caring about his injuries or that he was covering her in blood. He inhaled deeply and as her scent filled his nose, he closed his eyes, he barely felt the world shift as he slipped into unconsciousness, the severity of his wounds finally catching up with him.

* * *

Kagome froze with shock the moment she pushed through the security and police surrounding Sesshomaru. He stood covered in blood, his left sleeve was torn at the shoulder and blood and smoke bubbled on the stump that once held his arm. Tears filled her eyes and the words she had wanted to speak caught horribly in her throat.

Her eyes darted around and took in Inuyasha's mangled form lying a few feet away before centering back on Sesshomaru who was now coming towards her. Despite the terror she should be feeling at that moment her heart bled for his injured form and she held her arms open as he pulled her form against his.

She closed her eyes to savor the feeling for a moment before a new terror consumed her as Sesshomaru's form went limp against her. She struggled under his weight for a moment before a nearby police officer helped her out from under him.

"Sesshomaru!" She finally found her voice and called frantically.

The officer set his unconscious form on the ground as gently as he could and waved over one of the E.M.T.'s that were arriving at the scene. "This one needs to go too." The officer said gruffly.

Kagome followed the team of emergency personnel into the hallway and one of them, a rabbit youkai, stopped her for a moment. "Ma'am, are you related to these young men?" The medical technician eyed her suspiciously as he spoke.

Kagome shoved down her nervousness for a moment and rose to her full height, staring the demon down with as much intimidation she could muster at that moment. "I am riding to the hospital with him." She tilted her head towards Sesshomaru's unconscious form being carried away and her reiki crackled under her skin in anger.

He cowered and moved aside to let her follow the rest of the team down the hall. "Yes, ma'am." He squeaked quietly.

Kagome jogged to catch up with the team carrying Sesshomaru and she watched his unconscious face with worry, he had to wake up, she didn't even understand what had happened. As she climbed into the ambulance and waited for it to start moving, she reached out to touch Sesshomaru's remaining hand, she already cared so much for this man, this demon, she would be broken if he didn't make it through this.

* * *

*** Thank you for reading! So, I gave you a taste of action this chapter, next comes so much great plot building. I'm already working on Chapter 6 so stay tuned. As always, all reviews are appreciated!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – Pack

Kagome was terrified. She had ridden to the hospital with Sesshomaru, been ushered into a waiting room as the injured patients were taken into an Intensive Care Unit.

At first, she had only been told that Sesshomaru was in surgery, and then after a few hours a nurse had politely informed her that the patients' family would be joining her soon.

She now sat on the edge of the firmly padded waiting bench waiting to face whoever would come through the doors. It was only a few minutes before she was met by a tall silver-haired demon, mature features, biting golden eyes, and movement that spoke of power, this was Toga Taisho, Chairman of Shikon University and father of both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha.

Her hands shook and she gripped the arms of the chair to hide the motion and thickly swallowed to clear her throat. "Hello, Mr. Taisho." She motioned to the seat across from her as gracefully as she could. "Please join me." She hoped she came of polite and the demon kept his cool gaze on her as he took her offer and settled himself into the offered seat.

She resisted the shiver she felt building as his eyes appraised her for a long moment before he spoke. "You must be Kagome." The baritone of his voice left no room for her to speak so she simply nodded.

"My son speaks highly of you." His comment startled her and he must have seen the question in her eyes. "Sesshomaru and I do not talk often but he informed me of his intention to… court you." The demon took a long draw of air in through his nose before he continued. "And you certainly smell like my son." Kagome blushed and turned away slightly.

His tone thickened slightly at his next words. "So, what happened today my dear? I'm afraid nobody I've talked to so far has all the details."

Kagome turned back to face him and met his gaze honestly. "I don't know." She said quietly, and when the golden gaze continued to pin her in place she elaborated. "Something happened during my tournament event. The air got heavy with youki, it hurt to breathe, moving was so difficult…" She couldn't stop her bodily shiver at the memory. "And then it all stopped, when I stepped down from the event there were already police and emergency personnel filling the stands. When I finally got to Sesshomaru… he… he was… "Her words cut off on a choked sob as she pictured his badly wounded form and remembered how he collapsed into her.

"I see." Toga lightly commented as Kagome quieted her crying. "I was told by the tournament security that Inuyasha lost control and Sesshomaru stopped his outburst." He continued once she was listening again. "That is most unbelievable though, Inuyasha has only lost control of his demon half once, when he was hit by a car as a child. Without a strong catalyst like that, I don't understand how this would have happened." They sat in silence for a moment as Kagome considered his words.

She was about to reply when a nurse quickly stepped into the room and bowed. "Sesshomaru and Inuyasha are out of surgery and treatment, you may see them now." She said in a quiet demure voice.

Toga rose from his chair and Kagome followed suit. The nurse turned and led them from the room. It was a short walk down the hall and through a set of doors that read '_Authorized Personnel Only_'.

The hall past the door was lined with doors on either side, nameplates next to each door labeling their inhabitants. The three of them stopped outside of a door and the nurse turned to Toga.

"This is Sesshomarus room, that one is Inuyasha's." She said as she motioned to the door in front of them and the one directly next door.

Toga nodded in understanding and the nurse bowed once more before she turned to walk away. He opened the door and left it wide open behind him. Kagome took the invitation and quickly followed, shutting the door softly behind her. She steeled her nerves before turning around and walking to Sesshomaru's bedside. Her eyes rose slowly from the floor to take in his sleeping form and her heartbeat painfully at the sight. He laid with his eyes closed his hair fanned around him as he took slow shallow breaths, bandages covered what was exposed of his torso and her eyes widened as she took in the bandaged and casted left arm that hung in a sling at his side.

"It's good they were able to re-attach his limb." Toga's voice commented offhandedly, Kagome whipped her vision to where he stood at the end of the bed, medical chart in hand, he was studying the documents carefully.

He nodded his head and looked up to meet her gaze. "It will save him the time of having to regenerate one." He said evenly as if either way it was of little concern.

Kagome realized then just how biologically different Sesshomaru and his father were as demons, their youki allowed even their general healing to far surpass any human capabilities. She breathed a sigh of relief as she realized he would recover.

"I'm glad he will be alright." Kagome said softly as she turned back to Sesshomaru and pulled one of the nearby chairs closer to the side of the hospital bed. She settled into it and gingerly reached for his right hand that wasn't covered in any bandages.

"You intend to wait for him to awaken." Togas words weren't a question but Kagome smiled and replied. "Yes, if that is acceptable?" She mimicked the way Sesshomaru often spoke. Toga hadn't spoken any further on her relationship with Sesshomaru or whether he accepted it, or even her for that matter, but he hadn't objected to her being there either which had to be worth something.

The mature silver-haired demon nodded once to her, his eyes gleaming with something she didn't understand as he spoke. "I will return tomorrow morning." He said once more in his even baritone before he nodded his head to her and turned to leave.

"Thank you." She called lightly after him.

The door shut softly behind him and Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. She had been on edge the entire time she was around him and she was exhausted after the tightness of her muscles finally left her. She gripped Sesshomaru's hand softly and leaned forward, careful not to move his arm too much as she laid her head on the bed next to their hands. It only took a few seconds for her to fall into a light sleep.

* * *

Toga shut the door softly behind him, he was pleased with his first son's choice of female. She was soft-spoken and honest, not to mention pleasantly plush with the figure of a woman. He cleared his throat lightly and made his way next door to his second sons' room.

When he stepped inside, he wasn't surprised to see that the room was empty, Kikyo, Inuyasha's choice of female had never shown concern for his wellbeing in the entire time they had been courting, though she was always present at social events.

He made his way to his son's bedside and again he felt pride in Sesshomaru, several thin pricks along the Hanyou's neck along with a few scratches and bruises. Sesshomaru had protected the boy from himself, and at a great cost that he paid in pain, yet somehow, he had resisted the urge to kill the brat.

Aged gold took in his youngest sons form more carefully, the bruising around his neck was odd and didn't appear to be from any attack of Sesshomarus. In fact, it resembled a necklace around the Hanyou's neck, the darkest part of the bruise was over his right collarbone and it didn't take anything more for Toga to connect the dots. His spawn had been used; some sort of artifact forced his youki to go out of control.

He growled low in frustration, whoever dared to use his child in such a way would pay with their life. He gave the Hanyou one last look over before he turned to leave the hospital. Neither of his sons would wake tonight, giving him plenty of time to look into the incident further and hunt down anyone who was involved.

He stopped as he finally reached the parking garage, an idea striking him with internal force. There was a surefire way to prevent this in the future, he would make Inuyasha a sword from his own fang, it would have enough power to prevent any other items from drawing his youki out against his will.

Nodding in satisfaction he entered the black luxury car that pulled to a stop in front of him. "To Shikon University please." He told the driver.

The best swordsmith he knew worked at the university as a welding instructor, hopefully, the old demon would agree to his request.

* * *

Sesshomaru awoke silently, he could smell the chemicals around him and covering his body, he was in a hospital, apparently as a patient. He kept his eyes closed as he tried to recall his last memory.

It came to him slowly, the two sports tournaments, Kagome's figure in her archery clothing, Inuyasha's outburst, and that was where his memory thinned. He tried to move his left hand to wipe his brow but the limb felt stiff and immobile.

He finally opened his eyes and was shocked to see the cast covering his arm from shoulder to hand, he tried instead to move his right hand and was met with a soft mewling sound and a rustle of fabric.

His eyes shifted to his right and his chest warmed at the sight that greeted him. Kagome had her upper body curled against his hip on the bed, her hand firmly grasping his even while she slept. He stopped all attempts at moving and settled back against the pillow behind him, she looked exhausted and uncomfortable. She was still dressed in her archery uniform, so it must have not been long since he had fallen unconscious.

Sesshomaru glanced to the window, rays of weak sunlight were barely bridging the horizon, it was early morning. He looked back to Kagome and his heart chest swelled with even more emotion. She had stayed with him all night, the soft hint of smoked cherry wood in the room told him she had probably met his father as well.

He sighed as he closed his eyes again, he would wait for her to awaken on her own, for now, he was content just to enjoy her warmth and the luscious scent of jasmine that washed over him.

But his thoughts wouldn't let him rest so easily now that he was awake, the more he thought back on Inuyasha's outburst the more of his memory came back. There was the overwhelming rage he felt when he realized the Hanyou's youki was burdening his female. His mind's eye swirled with the image of Inuyasha's half-crazed form lying under him in the grip of his claws. Golden eyes flashed open as a sharp his of pain from his left shoulder accompanied the memory. He had lost an arm, temporarily, this explained the cast at his side.

He racked his mind for more information, the rosary the Hanyou had been wearing, he had never seen it before but the scent on it was familiar. He shook his head lightly in disdain, his memory was too fractured to accurately recall the small detail. The image of Kagome standing before him with open arms in the bloodied haze of his memory distracted him from the nagging lost details. She had accepted him even in his youki driven form covered in blood, missing a limb, she had still held her arms wide for him to come to her.

She really was stronger than even she herself believed. He felt a surge of respect and admiration for the woman lying at his side, he would do everything in his power to ensure he would keep the privilege of claiming her as his. He had not seen the end of her archery event and he felt slightly guilty, he hoped his and Inuyasha's actions hadn't caused her any trouble.

As the sun rose higher, shining its rays through the window Sesshomaru could detect the sound of his father approaching in the hallway, the cadence of his steps something Sesshomaru would recognize for eternity.

Much as he hated to, he gently removed his hand from Kagome's and moved it to her shoulder, rousing her from her sleep. "Kagome." He called; his voice rasped slightly.

He cleared his throat and tried once again. "Kagome, it's morning." He succeeded in sounding much more normal, though the scratch in his tone wasn't completely gone.

The young woman roused slightly and her eyes slid open slightly blinking sleepily a few times. Sesshomaru tried desperately to burn the image into his memory. He only had a few moments to do so before Kagome suddenly sat upright and stared at him with wide eyes.

"Good morning." She spoke after a small pause and a blush crept across her cheeks. "I didn't mean to fall asleep." She explained and tried to smooth out the bed sheet where she had been resting.

Sesshomaru shook his head and used his hand on her shoulder to pull her against his chest in a one-armed hug. "Do not apologize, your presence is always welcome." He spoke as he nuzzled the top of her head and took in a deep breath, filling his nose with her scent.

He felt her nod against him and released her from his hold. He was truly pleased when she smiled an earnest smile and slid her hand back into his. "I'm really glad to see you awake." She didn't use any words of concern but he knew she had been afraid for him.

"My father will be here soon." He warned her as the steps that caught his attention drew to a stop right outside of his door. He smiled as she straightened herself and attempted to comb her messy hair with her fingers as the door to his room slid open.

His father stepped in holding a few small folders in his hand, he closed the door and stepped to the side of the bed where his casted arm lay. "You recover quickly my son." He spoke in a proud tone and Sesshomaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his father's praise.

"When can I be discharged?" Sesshomaru asked, wanting only facts from his father.

The older demon smiled down at his son. "Around noon as long as you pass the doctor's evaluation." He motioned to Sesshomarus cast.

Mature golden eyes moved from him to Kagome and Sesshomaru grew tense as his father addressed his female. "It appears this event may have something to do with you, my dear." Sesshomarus eyes widened at the endearing term but kept his mouth firmly closed to see how she would respond.

Kagome turned from settling her appearance and faced his father with quiet confidence and obvious confusion in her eyes. "I don't know how that's possible; I barely know Inuyasha…" She put her hand to her chin in an expression of thinking.

His father cleared his throat to get her attention once more. "The police believe you may have been the target of this incident; nothing has been confirmed. The school would like to offer you a short leave of absence while the police conduct their investigation." He paused then and handed the folders he had brought with him over Sesshomarus body to Kagome. "Those are a list of police provided housing, you won't be able to return to your dorm until Monday next week. My apologies." When he finished Kagome looked utterly stunned, the emotions flashing across her eyes ranged from confusion to shock, to embarrassment.

She opened her mouth several times as if to speak but each time her words were soundless. "You will be able to continue your studies online… if falling behind is your concern." His father attempted to placate her obvious discomfort and Sesshomaru resisted the urge to growl in annoyance at his sire for upsetting his female.

Kagome seemed to become more alert at the statement and she smiled and waved a hand in front of her. "Ah… it's unavoidable I guess, just moving on such short notice… and I assume I won't be able to retrieve any of my things…" She was becoming quieter with every statement and Sesshomaru finally decided to speak.

"You may stay with me." He offered as more of a statement than an invitation. Deep pools of blue snapped to meet his gaze and he smiled warmly at her. "If that is acceptable?" He waited patiently for her reply, hoping with every fiber of his being that she wouldn't turn him down.

* * *

Kagome was stunned beyond belief. So much had happened since she had awoken at Sesshomarus bedside Toga had appeared so early, she had barely had time to make herself even somewhat presentable. Now she was being labeled a victim and banned from her home, even if only temporary.

Her anxiety had risen to an insurmountable level and she had lost the ability to speak clearly when Sesshomaru offered her the sweetest escape.

"You may stay with me." His words washed over her and she looked to meet his gaze, to confirm his words were true. The honest offer she saw was endearing. "If that is acceptable?" His words had her nodding quickly as she felt small tears of relief fill the corners of her eyes.

She looked to Toga sheepishly but was surprised at the wide smile crossing his features. "I will have your school supplies and personal effects delivered to Sesshomaru's apartment then." He spoke in a light happy tone and Kagome relaxed slightly; he wasn't much different from how he had been the night before.

"Thank you." She spoke up and Toga nodded to her.

"May I speak to my son alone for a moment my dear?" Toga asked pleasantly and Kagome instantly rose from her chair.

She nodded and turned to Sesshomaru. "I'll be right outside." At his slight nod, she turned and left the room, closing the door softly behind her. She resisted the urge to hold her ear to the door, the childish act was rude, but she was desperately curious. She leaned on the wall next to the door to prevent her from acting foolishly and tried to be as patient as possible.

* * *

Toga eyed his son with a knowing gaze but decided to voice his opinions regardless. "What are your intentions with her Sesshomaru?" He asked his eldest pup.

The young demon tensed under his gaze before he moved to face Toga as fully as he could in his damaged state. "I wish to have her as my Mate." His son said evenly and Toga eyed him carefully for any hint of misguidance.

He nodded finally and sighed. "She appears completely innocent in this incident. Though it does appear someone from Shikon University was involved in forcing Inuyasha out of control." His tone became aggravated, remembering the security footage he had been watching all night.

"If she is pack, then protect her." His tone was a command and Sesshomaru straightened and nodded, for now, Toga was still the Alpha of their Inuyoukai pack. "You have done well so far…" He commented as he looked down at Sesshomarus casted arm.

He looked back to his son's eyes and smiled a new grin. "Once you are healed you will need to properly introduce her." Sesshomaru frowned but nodded once more and Toga sighed happily.

He turned on his heel and headed for the door, he stopped just before exiting and turned to Sesshomaru once more. "Be gentle with her Sesshomaru, she is worth every ounce of control." He warned him once before he swiftly exited, closing the door behind him with an almost soundless click.

Once in the hallway he immediately noticed Kagome standing nervously next to the door. Toga nodded his head to her. "The doctor will be by soon to release him." He said simply before walking around her towards the exit. He smiled to himself as he heard her re-enter his sons' room.

His thoughts centered back on the incident at hand though, there was work to be done and as chairman, he was responsible for cleaning up this mess and working with police to find the person responsible. His emotions slid back into the box he normally kept them in and much like his oldest son, he stepped out of the hospital the perfect image of a powerful stoic daiyoukai, ready to hunt.

*** Thank you for reading! Sorry, this chapter is a little short, I kind of forgot I started online classes again today, ugh. So, it may be a little longer before the next update, but look forward to some steamy scenes next chapter! As always thank you for any and all reviews, I really appreciate them!


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